Hello Again (Odion)

Odion had entered the cafeteria of his own free will, intent on having lunch before the rest of the student body arrived. He had everything down to a routine. Eat lunch early, read a book, check the news online, train if he felt like it, and repeat. Save for a run in with someone here and there and a couple of classes, Odion had a set plan for each day. It was getting to be boring, and he knew that pretty soon he would have to return to his addiction of theft.

Scooping macaroni and cheese onto his plate, he heard a familiar voice behind him, the small hairs on the back of his neck rising. “You’re the one sneaking up on me, Rhett,” he said, not looking at the blonde until he had to. He decided he wasn’t that hungry after all and made to sit at a table, his old friend apparently taking the initiative to follow and join him. The red head looked at the other sitting across from him, his blue eyes darker than usual.

“I’m not here for you Goddard, I’m here because I wanted to try something new,” he said, his fork laying still beside his plate of macaroni. “Besides, the people here are really easy to steal from,” a sinister smile broke out across his face and he pushed his food away, leaning on the table towards Rhett. “Tell me, have you done anything,” he looked around to make sure no one was listening, “interesting, since you’ve been here?” Odion was curious and bright eyed, and it was the only thing he and Rhett had in common as far as he knew. That, and they had no true parents to speak of. It was weird to be around someone he could talk with; Odion had said this much to anyone in this school yet. Rhett should feel special.

Odion could never decide what his feelings were towards Rhett. Sometimes he liked him, and sometimes he wanted to kill him. It didn’t help that the blonde could access his mind in a way Odion would rather keep private. Still, when he thought about their past, only fondness arose in the pit of his stomach. Rhett was the only person he considered family, the only person who knew of some of his dark secrets, like stealing to stay alive, and a lack of true parents. But did that mean he had to like him? He knew of people with real family, who neither liked nor loved those whose blood they shared. That just didn’t make sense. So, was it possible to like Rhett as almost a family member, despite that it didn’t make sense?

Rhett knew that his vague answer wouldn’t satisfy Odion, but the red head let it slide – for now. He knew damn right what the ginger meant. Honestly, Odion had no idea why he had followed Rhett. Maybe he missed him, or maybe he wanted to see how he was doing, but he would always lie and say he was here for himself, to explore America really. “Maybe I missed you, maybe I didn’t, but I’m here now, so deal with it,” he said, sipping at the coke he had taken with him, his words alluding to their last New Year’s together. Rhett was the only person he could be abrasive with, and if there was anything Odi missed, it was that. Sometimes it was nice not to try and be a people pleaser. It was nice not holding back.

“Why do you care how long I’ve been here?” Odion asked, hurt that Rhett seemed uninterested in doing what they did best. Had he stopped his old habits? “I...” he started to say, not sure how to put it, “I didn’t really know if you wanted to see me again, although your reaction speaks for you.” Crystalline eyes looked down at the hardening macaroni, wondering if that was the right thing to say. Odion didn't want to intrude on Rhett's new life. He actually cared about Rhett, and he squirmed in his spot. If things didn't turn out well, he could just leave. It was what he was good at. Odion had always tried to get deeper under Rhett’s skin, and was never truly successful.

“Are you actually hurt?” Odion asked, curious to see if maybe Rhett had changed somewhat since being here.

Odion was crushed, to put it lightly. He had never really tried very hard to get Rhett to like him, but did the blonde have to be so heartless sometimes? “You know, you act so smart and sarcastic, like nothing or nobody is allowed to touch you,” he said, still feeling insulted. “You are probably the most oblivious person I’ve ever met,” he said, glad to finally get out what he had always been thinking.

“Why can’t you just open up to me? We’ve been through hell and back and you still shrug me off like you don’t care. Well you can take your words and shove them right up your ass, because I’m through trying to get into that thick skull of yours,” Odion said, pointing to his own skull. Was it so wrong to want a friend in his life? Someone who understood him? If Rhett was so fucking smart, couldn’t he piece the puzzle together and see that Odi had come here because he knew his old friend was here. Now the red head was wondering if they were friends at all. Rhett was the only person Odion felt safe with, and yet the relationship was exciting enough to keep him on his toes. Who else could raise this kind of emotion in the otherwise well calculated, shy, charming young red head?

“I wouldn’t want to be included in your troubled life anyways,” Odion lied, “seems like someone went from zero to hero over here in America.” Was he jealous that Rhett had other people in his life? They had been partners, pickpocketing the streets of Europe together and now... nothing. “This time I’m leaving, don’t bother following,” he said getting up from the lunch table, trying to sound angry. But there was only sadness in his eyes. “It’s too bad you can’t see what’s right in front of you.”

Walking away wasn’t easy, and now Odion realized why he hadn’t sought out Rhett in the first place. He was afraid of his reaction. He was afraid of rejection. The older boy was the only person he wanted to trust, and Odi, didn’t get that privilege, even though Rhett was being an ass about the whole thing. The only thing the blonde spoke was sarcasm, and Odi desperately wanted to believe that there was a heart beneath Rhett’s hard shell. He was supposed to be a mind reader, or something like that, but the red head often felt he was the one who could see right through Goddard’s charade. He had shown Rhett a different side of him, someone who actually had feelings, and wanted those feelings to be returned, or at least acknowledged. Was Rhett’s reaction really a surprise then? No matter, I’ll never make that mistake again Odion thought to himself in that brief moment of turning around and walking away to leave the cafeteria, and possibly Hammel, for good.

But then someone was spinning him around, and a surprised look crossed the boy’s freckled face. “Rhett?” Odion asked, his warm blue eyes searching those of the lad before him. A moment or two passed and Odi was about to turn and walk away, assuming that the blonde had stopped him just to prolong the suffering Mr. Martins was feeling. Or maybe the Frenchman would give one of his winning smiles and be on his merry little way, sending Odion a big ‘fuck you’ without a single word needing to be said.

And then he was being kissed, something he simply didn’t react to. Odion stood there as though mummified and let Goddard kiss him, wondering if this was as close to seeing the true Rhett as he was going to get. After Rhett pulled back, Odion was blushing profusely and couldn’t stop looking at his childhood friend. The blonde was speaking now, but to Odi, it sounded like background noise. The stares in the cafeteria, which were focused on the two boys, were the most prominent thing in the ginger’s mind. That, and the warmth of Rhett’s lips still lingering on his.

Feeling his face grow almost as red as his hair, Odion gulped and looked down at the floor. Did that really just happen? He was mentally kicking himself in the ass. This was what he got for being upfront with his feelings – exactly what he wanted. This strategy had never been done before, but the last thing he expected was for it to work. Rhett was, well, being honest too. His actions spoke louder than his words and Odi was secretly happy that he didn’t have to give up on Rhett – not yet anyways. He wanted to see more of this side of his friend, something more than just passing the time with him.

“We can, uh,” Odion started to say, still looking at the floor while holding his elbow, “talk later then I guess.” It was the first thing out of his mouth. He was in control but he didn’t know, and he was slowly losing it. His head snapped up suddenly to look at Rhett, unwilling to be a doormat. Just this once, don’t walk away and leave things unfinished.

“No, wait, why not now? 'Just' what?” He asked, standing in place, trying to keep as straight a posture as was humanly possible. Rhett knew his partner well, and by now he would wonder why Odion wasn’t running away from the whole situation. Odion always ran away. He just couldn’t, wouldn’t leave Rhett now. Yes he liked the kiss he received, but Odi was more interested in the breakthrough that just happened. Would the defiant, sarcastic blonde do anything else out of character? Would he really listen to Odion?

Odion wasn’t expecting to hear Rhett’s story, and he wasn’t wanting a complete change of character either. Really he was happy to even be talking to him at all, this was just a nice extra. Things between the two started to revert back to the normal – the moment was gone. Odion didn’t care about anyone else in the cafeteria now, as most seemed to go about their business anyways.

“I tried to talk about those things, remember? You weren’t satisfied. You wanted to know why I was here, ‘normal’ wasn’t good enough for you,” he said, frustrated. Rhett really didn’t know what he wanted. “If normal was good enough, you wouldn’t have kissed me,” he said, a bit of confidence in his last statement. It was the truth, and neither of them could pretend that it didn’t happen now. It was unexpected, but it was raw, and it was real, the same way life had dealt them every other card.

Really, he was here for Rhett, but Odion didn’t think his friend would be able to handle that news. That, or the information would go straight to his head and Goddard would think he was some kind of god. “If it was good enough you wouldn’t have left Kocher,” or me. Odion had muttered this last sentiment, ready to leave once more. He was used to being abandoned, but he never expected it from Rhett. The blonde had broken the time controller’s heart in more than one way.

Odion was giving Rhett a look he wouldn’t forget – things would never be the same again.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, the boy took a good hard look at Rhett, and slowed down time. Odi just wanted to look at him for a few moments longer than necessary. The blonde was worth being patient for, and was worth fighting for. Odion let time resume its normal pace, giving Rhett a now quizzical stare. “Something’s changed about you anyways,” the redhead said with a sigh, a small grin finally cracking up onto his face, which had been solemn all day. This was a smile only Rhett beheld.

“You should show me around town some time,” Odion said, passing the ball back into Rhett’s court, but the redhead knew that Goddard wouldn’t blow him off.

Odion blinked a few times, his mind being filled of all the places he had seen with Rhett. “Yes, I remember,” he said, wondering if Rhett really believed he would forget all of those beautiful countries. “My favourite was Denmark,” he said, commenting on something that didn’t really matter, it was just something to comment on, something that made this encounter, normal, like it used to be. Was that wuat Rhett really wanted?

Love wasn’t something Odion knew about. Not that of a father or mother, or siblings or relatives of any kind. Did he love Rhett? Maybe. They had spent quite a bit of time together, sometimes tolerating one another, sometimes actually enjoying the time spent side by side. Rhett had taken him under his wing, and their comradery was true. Nothing was really for certain anymore, but relationships needed to develop somehow, even if was just pickpocketing and the like. They had been there for each other, and Odion remember dragging Rhett's limp body to the hospital after he blacked out like it was yesterday. He trusted Rhett.

“And what would ‘everyone’ know about you?” Odion asked, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. What did the students at Hammel know about Rhett anyways? Probably jack shit. “I’ve been out a couple times,” he said, thinking of his graffiti art. Still, he hadn’t really been out in the true sense of the word. He hadn’t visited a single bar since being in America. He knew he looked rather young and the laws here were more strict than in Europe. How exactly would he get away with entering a place for those twenty one and older?

“I don’t know why you bothered asking if you already knew the answer,” he said, Rhett’s way of throwing out probabilities was sufficient enough to be an answer. The blonde would take him out, that much as certain. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do,” Odi said, sincerity in his voice as he referred to the moment previously shared between them. He had done nothing to prompt the kiss. In fact, he was surprised he got a kiss at all. Obviously Rhett wanted him in his life, and that reassurance made Odion smile. The sincerity wouldn't continue if Rhett kept pushing him away.

“I think you already passed holding hands anyways, Goddard,” the redhead said in that old, familiar bantering tone, and he chuckled. Making fun of the situation would be easier than trying to process and deal with it.