Far From Okay (Jared.)

[Odion Martins]

Odion knew that he couldn’t hide from Jared forever, and he wasn’t trying to. This was simply a delicate situation, and he didn’t want to startle himself into another stupor – and if he was one to pray, he would pray that Jared would understand.

Inviting his long time friend over was not an option, not when your ‘place’ was a university classroom. Odion had gotten dressed in dark jeans and a plaid shirt before sending Jared a text. Meet me at the Velvet-Tone Coffeehouse. Now. It had been a while since Odi had been there, and that was before he had given in to the bottle. Coffee just wasn’t as good, but the redhead was not in the mood to get smashed before noon.

The bell chimed as he walked in and he smiled at the server. She wasn’t Lux, but she was at least one of the friendlier staff. Odion took a spot by the window and she strolled over to him. “Hey Odion,” she said, and he looked up at her politely. “Hello,” he said, his hands neatly folded on the table in front of him. “What can I get ya?” It was all banter at this point, he almost always had the same thing. “Hazelnut latte.” She marked down the order and went back behind the counter. Odion wondered if she would be surprised that someone was actually coming to sit with him today – he was usually all alone.

Odion stared out the window, waiting for the mess of hair that belonged to Jared. He was feeling nervous. This conversation would be the beginning of a long and hard road which would hopefully lead to some healing. He had to know what had become of him, and how he could prevent it. Odion checked his phone, jumping slightly as his drink was placed in front of him. “You okay?” The server asked, and Odion only smiled and nodded. He was far from okay.

[Jared Bell]

Jared had just been letting himself through the walls of what seemed to be unoccupied buildings for the past few nights. Honestly he had expected Odion to avoid confrontation longer than a few days. It wasn’t like him to get straight into things. He looked down at his phone expecting it to be anyone but Odi. He replied immediately. “I’ll be there in ten.” He hit send and grabbed his bag. He was on the way out in seconds. Today was going to be a hard day. He had the feeling that there was going to be a lot to sift through.

Walking down the street he pulled his jacket collar up around his face. It wasn’t extremely cold, but he definitely wasn’t used to the weather yet. At least he was better prepared than the last time he had come to Pilot Ridge. This time he wouldn’t have to acquire a whole new wardrobe just to survive. He started smoking while he still could. He had the feeling that he was going to want more after the next hour was done.

Jared walked by just in time to see Odion receiving a drink, and what looked almost like sympathy. That also wasn’t like him to wear his heart on his sleeve. He took on last drag on his fag and flicked it to the ground. He sighed and let himself in. The atmosphere was comfortable, but the bell had made enough noise that everyone had looked to see who was coming in. He sighed and walked towards Odion. He pulled up a chair and sat directly across from the redhead. Instantly the mood shifted. “What’s going on Odi?” He said softly. He was concerned, more than anything else and wanted to get to the bottom of this.

The waitress reappeared and asked if Jared wanted anything. “A double Americano please. Black.” He said simply before returning his gaze to Odion. He wasn’t as strung out as he had been, but he could still tell that something was off. “I haven’t seen you in a month…” Jared said, trailing off. He had honestly been worried that Odion had been dead, but he wasn’t about to get so emotional right off of the bat. He at least wanted to hear what he had to say. He didn’t plan on just letting Odion die, he knew that Odion would do the same for him. He sighed as he waited to hear the whole story.

[Odion Martins]

Odion and Jared both – the redhead’s nicotine habit wasn’t as bad as Jared’s, but times like these called for a couple here and there. Besides, Odion didn’t have a lot of people he could smoke with these days. He became calmer and more contemplative when given the opportunity for a fag.

As soon as the server went back behind the counter, Odion heard the chime of the door again. He looked up and saw Jared, and his grip around his mug tightened. He closed his dark blue eyes and tried to breathe – things weren’t supposed to feel this way. At first he knew he hadn’t seen Jared in what felt like ages, a year since he helped his mate get out of the price over his head. But then he knew without a doubt that it had only been mere weeks since he had last seen the brunet. Time was playing tricks on him and he couldn’t believe he had actually convinced himself to believe that Jared could be dead.

Jared’s voice seeped through his thoughts, and Odion opened his eyes, his pupils adjusting to the brightness of the room which so completely contrasted his mood. Odi shifted in his seat at the question, and waited for the server to be gone with Jared’s order before he even thought of speaking. It gave him more time to think. “That’s the problem,” Odion said, watching his reflection in his cup. “When I got here, I thought I hadn’t seen you in almost a year.” Odi closed his eyes again, not ready to let his emotions get the best of him again. There were only a handful of people who knew he was prone to crying.

Glancing up helplessly at Jared, Odion sat as still as a statue. He had always had the finesse of a cat when he was in a good frame of mind, and not acting like an addict. There was no point in hiding anything. “I haven’t been able to remember anything from between July and now,” he admitted, holding Jared’s eyes fiercely. “Only bits and pieces, so, you probably know more than I do.” Odion had a pained expression on his face – this was a lot harder to explain than he thought. If he couldn’t speak with Jared, he hadn’t a hope in hell in helping Lani understand.

[Jared Bell]

Jared locked eyes with Odion as he approached. He could feel his heart being pulled. There was a lot to be said between the two of them. Really all he felt was relief, he had fully expected to see a complete mess of a man if Odion was even alive when he was found. Something was wrong, and he was going to figure it out.

He knew to accept the silence as a way to have privacy. He figured that Odion needed a second to gather his thoughts. It was always easy to pick out thoughts beforehand, but the moment you saw someone all that planning usually went out of the window. When Odion’s voice did come out Jared gave it every bit of his attention. He nodded. “It make’s sense honestly… you’ve not been yourself for the past while… you’re a lot better than you were, but I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d find you in time this time around.” Jared said softly. Odion didn’t remember the last months, but Jared did. He could sense the emotion in the air, and knew they would be leaving as soon as they were done their coffees.


Jared met Odi’s eyes. They seemed to both be feeling the same way. “Fuck…” he muttered, before taking a moment to try to figure out how to explain the last months to Odion. He could see the pain. “We’re going to finish these drinks, and then we’re going to go for a walk and we will be having a smoke. We both need it.” Jared said simply, taking a big swig of his coffee. He was ready to do this as soon as possible. There was a lot to be said, and if Odion’s power was messing with him, he wasn’t sure just how much time he had to get it all in. “I’ll tell you everything I can as soon as we get out of here. It’s going to be a heavy day.” He said softly. He was here for Odion, and he would do all he could.

Jared finished his coffee and put some cash down on the table. He pulled his jacket on and motioned for Odion to do the same. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his smokes, he handed on to Odion and put another in his mouth. He was barely out of the coffee shop before he had his lit. He passed off the lighter and let Odion get his lit before he started speaking. “You were bloody well close to death. I was backpacking Europe and I found you trying to rob me. You’ve never been so bad off… I took you with me and we got an apartment… I mean, you were nearly dead mate.” Jared said softly, taking a long drag and thinking back to the day he had found Odion.

They started walking down the street before Jared Continued his story. “You weren’t yourself at all… you know how you’ve always watched over me and kept me from going over the edge? We switched spots this time… You were more self-destructive than you’ve ever let me get. I don’t know how much of the details you want… if you want any blanks filled in just tell me.” He said softly, watching the redhead’s reactions like a hawk.

[Odion Martins]

Odion’s breath caught in his throat again. At this rate he was going to have a panic attack. “I didn’t know it was that bad.” Now he felt guilty. If Jared truly had been there for him for the last few months, that meant Odion had been a total asshole. He had been someone he probably not only didn’t like, but couldn’t remember. “I was on autopilot,” Odion said, unsure who if he was trying to make amends with Jared, or convince himself that he wasn’t as terrible as he always suspected he had been.

The redhead had barely touched his coffee at all, coming here was all pretense anyways. Odion hadn’t been very good at keeping his masks on lately, and Jared was someone who could see right through them anyways so it wasn’t worth the effort of even putting them on. Odi smirked at the thought of having a fag with his chum and didn’t protest. He wasn’t in the mood for sympathetic looks from strangers either. Odion wouldn’t admit it, but he was glad today wasn’t something he had to deal with by himself. He knew it would be difficult, but he wasn’t alone. He owed Jared the world at this point.

Slipping out of the coffee shop, Odion took the cigarette Jared offered, glad for the next excuse not to talk about what needed to be said. He passed the lighter back once his was lit and took a long drag. This would probably be the first of many for the day. Odion hadn’t been aware of himself in Europe, and it honestly felt like he was already dead. He supposed that if he felt dead on the inside, it wouldn’t be long until the body followed suit. “I tried to rob you?” Odion asked in disbelief. He took another drag, “I must’ve been out of my mind.” Next to him, Jared was a prize pickpocket. Nearly dead. The statement rang through Odion’s mind, and he was scared at just how far he could push himself. He had put himself through a slow suicide.

Odion focused his mind on what Jared was saying, rather than allowing himself to experience those things firsthand. The thoughts of what Jared was saying were springing up in Odion’s mind, and Jared was only helping to make the picture clear. The more he spoke, the clearer the memory. Odion, strung out and leaving with any man who was willing to go back to their apartment. Odion, taking anything from anyone in order to get his hands on the next fix. Odion fighting off Jared when he was just trying to help Odion. It was all true, and as the new memories of old tales filled his mind, another piece of the puzzle was set into place.

Jared was right, Odion hadn’t been himself at all. He threw away the bud to the street and stopped walking. He leaned against a lamppost and eyed Jared. He hadn’t said anything for a while and he knew it, but his mind was still working on accepting all that he had done. “I don’t know what to say,” Odion finally decided on, “except thank you.” He sighed, wiping at his face. The usual stoic nature of Odion’s had fled and been replaced by fidgety legs. “It’s strange, having to relive everything you’ve just said,” Odion said by way of explanation. The redhead cringed as a new piece of information made its way into his mind. “There’s something else...” He tried to work it through before speaking again, picturing what life had been like when he was Jared’s roommate. “Something made me catatonic.” But his mind had blocked the worst part of the experience. The something that Odion was trying to get at was one simple word, and to make that connection would reveal parts of him that were so broken, he wasn’t sure he could piece himself back together again. He stared at Jared, wondering just how much further he could push himself. “I need to know everything.”

[Jared Bell]

"It's alright mate, we've all been there before." Jared said softly, reaching out and lightly touching Odion's arm as a form of comfort. He knew that Odion wasn't himself so he simply nodded when autopilot was mentioned. "I was there.., I still am. It's not as bad as you think." It really was as bad as Odi thought, but it wasn't Jared's place to condemn him.he was here to bring some sort of stability back to his friend's mental state.

Some of the stress left Jared the moment he saw that familiar smirk spread onto Odion's face. At least he knew today wouldn't be near as painful as it had initially seemed. "Figured you might prefer that to wallowing in a coffee shop like a couple of snobs." He said with a small chuckle. He would offer what he could for now, but he knew it wouldn't stay this easy for very long. He might as well ease into it as gently as possible.

He had put off the heavy stuff for just about as long as was possible, so now it was time to dig in. Jared took a slow drag before answering Odion. "You didn't know it was me... I was traveling fairly inconspicuously...and honestly you were completely strung out. I've met junkies who were in a better place than you. I couldn't leave you then. Not like that..." Jared trailed off and took another puff. He had never been good at sugar coating things, even when it was his own ass on the line. He exhaled the smoke and savored the taste on his tongue.

There wasn't any pleasure in the retelling of this story for Jared. He knew in all reality as much as it would help Odion, it would also hurt him deeply. Every bit of him screamed that the tale needed to be ended, but he couldn't make himself lie to Odion. Besides, when you bullshit for a living you learn to see through other people's. He said his piece and waited to see what else Odion wanted to know.

Jared came to a stop when Odion did. Immediately passing the pack to him. Today was going to be a chain smoking day for the both of them. "You don't have to thank me. You would've done the same for me." He answered softly. Jared could see how much was going through Odion's mind. "I can only begin to imagine... It's been a hell of a ride." He said. He hadn't finished the story yet, but apparently Odi had realized that without needing any prompting.

Catatonic described it perfectly, and yet Jared was still worried about bringing it up. The reason Odion had gone catatonic was currently residing in Pilot Ridge as well. Did he want to chance that with Lani being so close? Then Odion asked to know everything. There was no way to get around it now. Jared pulled another cigarette from the oak and lit it up. A long day would be putting it lightly.

Sighing softly he looked Odion in the eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that." He didn't want to crack open this can of worms, but he had no choice anymore. "When you tried to rob me it was so you could afford more drugs. You were going 200 down a one way street. Once you realized it was me it was easier to reason with you. We travelled for a few more weeks before we set up a home." This was harder than he thought it would be, even he was getting emotional at this story. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and continued. "Once we settled in we started working and saving again. You were going out a lot. It wasn't completely out of control though. You were almost normal. Then I asked you what happened, how you got where you were." He paused for a moment and took another long drag. "I asked what happened because the last I heard you were traveling with him." He let the silence stand.

Jared took a step forward, ready to act if he had just broken Odion. "I asked what happened with you and Lani... And it all went to hell. It took weeks for anything to be normal again, and I asked again. After the second time I never asked again because I knew what would happen." He went quiet again, and looked at Odion hopefully. "Then you up and disappeared without a trace. At first I thought you were working a job, but you never came home." He said, the pain in his voice was evident. He had honestly thought Odion's life was over.

[Odion Martins]

Jared’s touch brought little comfort, not that it was his fault, but Odion knew when someone was lying just to make him feel better. He decided not to react or complain over the sentiment Jared was showing. His very behaviour told Odion that Jared was worried about him and didn’t want to set him off over the edge. Jared never treated him like this, so things must’ve gotten insanely bad. Odion touch his thumb and fingers to his eyebrows, feeling a tension headache coming on. Things would go from bad to worse before they got anywhere close to being better.

Odion let the information sink in. Even if he wanted to remember trying to rob Jared he couldn’t – he was, as Jared had stated, completely strung out. He was sober now, but he wouldn’t be able to remember something like that if he was high when it happened. “Well that’s embarrassing,” Odion said, and it wasn’t a statement to be taken lightly. He had been on display for all the world to see, and had acted like a complete lunatic. The only way to see what had happened, would be to visit that space of time, and Odion’s power wasn’t ready for that kind of trip just yet. He kept reminding himself that baby steps would take him further than leaps.

Taking another fag, Odion stuck it in his mouth and just let it hang for a moment before actually lighting it. He had become a completely different person in Europe. How was he going to explain all this to Lani? It was hard enough trying to be around the blond and have something meaningful with him, but this? Lani would never forgive him for all that he had done, and all that he had done to himself. Odion knew he would’ve done the same for Jared, and had done the same for Jared. But did that make him redeemable?

Now it was Jared’s turn to buy time. Odion was a patient man though, and he would out wait the best of waiters. Just what had caused him to go so ballistic? Odion knew what had started it all, but how long had it gone on? Just how far had he strayed from his life to become what he had been in Europe?

In the end, if it weren’t for Jared, Odion would’ve ignored Caroline’s plea like he had ignored everything else that had to do with Lani. Jared had helped Odion see the light once more, had helped him off the drugs, but even then, he couldn’t handle remembering Lani. It was all so haunting. And then when he had finally snapped out of it, when he had finally decided to embrace the pain he had been avoiding for so long, all he could feel was whiplash. His power was angry, and time was literally spinning out of control for Mr. Martins.

Now that Odion was feeling the time and space for the last few months, he knew he would have to do the first few on his own. No one else knew about what happened from the moment he and Lani broke up to the moment Jared found him but him. There was a lot of work left to be done, but not today. There was enough on his plate for today.

It was hard to hear what Jared was saying. Again, Odion couldn’t remember exact details, but he could feel like what Jared was saying was true. He never thought he would ever be living with Jared again, but stranger things had happened. And he would rather live with Jared, than be dead in a gutter somewhere. The funny thing was, it all sounded normal. Odion was taking long drags on his second smoke and was soon tossing the butt. He truly had been on autopilot as he had suspected. Addictions, that was what he had left in this world when he didn’t have Lani or some sense. Odion could only look at Jared while he spoke, trying to ground himself into the mess he had brought himself into. And everyone else he cared about was being dragged down too.

As soon as Jared said his name, it felt like Odion had been punched in the gut. His stomach dropped and his heart wrenched and he had never felt such a terrible pain in his life. It was like the world was ending and at the same time Odion wasn’t ready to let go. It felt like he was going to throw up and he was so mad nothing could contain him. As Jared spoke, Odion remembered. He remembered what it felt like to be trying to live normally, as though Lani had never existed. As though Odion had tried to remove the blond from his life entirely. And the more he sifted through the memories, the more questions he had. What if he had indeed tried to eradicate Lani from his life?

Odion was blinking rapidly, trying to stop the tears but they surfaced anyways. He wasn’t going to be able to remember everything on his own. The last bit of his time in Europe had be solved, and that wasn’t even the hardest part. He saw himself getting mad at Jared for saying anything about Lani, and then he saw himself sitting there for hours upon hours, just, sitting there. In a daze, refusing to eat or do anything. It was his way of self-soothing and it hadn’t worked. It had only served to make things worse. Jared had done the right thing when he had quit asking, as that was what allowed Odion to get well. It allowed him to exist without Lani. And that was all he had, a mere existence which didn’t resemble a life at all.

Snapping back to the present, Odion was amazed he hadn’t fallen to his knees. Or maybe he had and Jared had helped him back up, he couldn’t remember at the moment. “So you came here to find me?” God, he had no idea Bell was such a good friend. It was only in times of darkness did true character shine through. Odion shook his head, simply breathing as he let all of the memories settle into place as his own, and not just words coming from Jared’s mouth. “I still don’t know what happened between Lani and I,” Odion started, squinting as the sun reached higher into the sky. “Clearly we had a squabble, but...” That was all he knew. And it had something to do with his family, or Declyn at least. “I don’t remember how it happened or why or how I treated Lani...” Odion’s hands covered his mouth as he realized he could have seriously physically hurt Lani in the state he had been in.

This was a fucking horrible mess. Hands on his hips now, Odion sniffed hard and looked to the ground. He had to find out the rest of the story, and he wasn’t sure he could convince Lani to retell it. Odion didn’t want to go on with his life without knowing what he had done, but Lani could be more stubborn than he was. Odion sighed and took another smoke out of Jared’s pack. The wheels were turning in his head – maybe he could just go back in time himself and figure it out. But, what if he had taken that option away from himself? What if there was too much scar tissue to really see what happened? “Fuck,” Odion said sharply, dropping the cigarette to the ground. His hands were shaking and he had accidentally burned himself. He knelt down and picked up the lit cigarette, inhaling to get it going before it stopped burning. Lost in his own mind, Odion didn’t know what to say or do now, and Jared couldn’t help him anymore.

[Jared Bell]

Jared saw the tears form, another abnormality for Odion. He didn’t hesitate to step over and pull his friend into his chest and hold him tightly. He’d been in enough messes of his own to know that sometimes a hug could make the difference. He held Odion until he felt like he would be able to hold himself up. “It’s gonna be alright mate. If you didn’t write me off after all my bullshit then there’s a hell of a lot of hope for you.” Jared knew for a fact that he was ten times the scumbag that Odion was.


Nodding in answer to Odion’s question he waited to hear what else the redhead had to say. “That’s not important right now… you’re actually feeling and remembering him at least. That’s a start. You were gone for months, and you’ll honestly never sort it in a week.” Jared said softly. He wanted his friend to see just how much progress he had made in the past weeks. It was far more than he had seen in Odion before he disappeared. He took a step back and really assessed how Odi was doing. “You gonna make it, mate?”


He saw the cigarette drop to the ground and just let the redhead do his thing. “That about sums everything up as best as I can without giving you a full account.” Jared said casually. He didn’t know what else to say at this point. He would’ve invited Odion back to his place for a drink but he didn’t have a place to bring him to. Apparently he would do it the hard way. “How about we go for a drink and loosen up, I think we both need a break from this. That way we can actually start to sort it out.” He said. He remembered a few places that he’d be able to slip into, and even if they were denied entry there were other ways for him to acquire a substance for the two of them to abuse. It wouldn’t be a casual drunken night like it had been, more so just a way for the two of them to relax together. Jared’s intake had been monitored a lot more closely lately simply because he was looking out for more than himself now.

[Odion Martins]

Odion was the last person to want any kind of physical contact from another human being. There was a point where Jared had teased him and said that was because he had never been loved at a child, and Odion had only laughed at the comment. All that tomfoolery aside, Odion could see that Jared truly did care for him like a brother, and Odion would never forget the kindness Jared had showed. It amazed the redhead that every thief he had ever met always had a soft side to them – even himself. Odion didn’t say a word, he just hugged Jared back tightly and hoped that everything would be alright.

Sniffing, Odion let his hands drop and tried to collect himself. If he had hurt Lani, all he could do was apologize and hope for forgiveness. Jared was right – there wasn’t anything he could do about that now. “Given the right motivation...” Odion began to challenge. Anything could be done in a week, and if time was on his side, Odion could make that week stretch far beyond the normal capacity. But this wasn’t the case, and he needed to take things slow. He sighed, nodding to show that he was forfeiting this match. “We’ll see.” Nothing in this world was guaranteed.

The summary was all Odion needed – he had seen everything Jared had described in great detail. Maybe when his power was feeling better, he could take a literal trip down memory lane, and see everything while it happened in real time. Did Jared know Odion could do that? “Yeah alright,” Odion said, his accent becoming more prominent the more he spoke with Jared. It was just like old times – comfortable. He had no intention of getting wasted, a couple of brew would do him just fine and help him relax. Odion scanned where they were and nodded his head down the street. “I know a pub a couple blocks down from here.” It would give them a chance to smoke a couple more fags.

Odion began walking again, and took the cigarette out of his mouth, finally observing it. “What kind are these? They taste cheap,” he commented, taking another drag. Odion was complaining, but it was only because he wanted things to feel normal again.

[Jared Bell]

“Shut up. You’re nowhere near in the condition to start dicking with time Odi.” Jared said sternly. He wasn’t about to let the redhead take another three steps backwards. He knew the time turner would continue to push himself until he was dead if he wasn’t put in his place now. “I didn’t spend months with you, to see you throw it all away. Take your time for once. You’ll be able to sort it out once you’re ready. Until then, think about taking one step at a time.” He knew that Odion wasn’t going to like his walk before you run speech, but at the rate the redhead was going he would be running right off of a cliff shortly. He was surprised that Odion had seemingly seen sense for himself. Maybe he wouldn’t have to fight him as much as he thought.


Already knowing that Odion had loosened up Jared waited for the redhead to start walking. He wasn’t sure which pub Odion had in mind. They would definitely have to stop somewhere so that he could get another pack of smokes. He was running low. Not that it had mattered; all the airport had to offer was shitty brands so he had snagged the best alternative. “Let’s get going, I swear it’s ten degrees colder here.”


Letting out an audible groan Jared’s usual smart ass smile came across his face. “They wouldn’t be the cheap brand if some asshole hadn’t abandoned me at the airport.” He said. Already he was slipping back into his comfort zone. This talk wouldn’t be forgotten though; rather it would just be pushed to the side for a little while. Not that Jared minded. He wanted things to be at least a little bit normal before they really dug into the chaos that was Odion’s life. “Maybe we can pick up a pack that’s actually worth keeping once we’re done at the pub.” Jared suggested. He didn’t want to let Odion know that he was currently homeless. That would just be embarrassing.

Following his friend’s lead he walked into the bar. The place wasn’t as shitty as the outside looked. “They’d better serve Guinness here. Possibly the best pint you’ll ever have.” Jared said with a smirk. He knew Odion was usually a wine drinker, but at least this would slow him down. He fully intended to keep everything in line today.

[Odion Martins]

Odion sneered. “I always dick with time, as you so eloquently put it.” Odion met Jared’s stern look and swallowed hard. He could pretend to be confident, but Jared knew just how weak Odion was. It was probably for the best that Jared came looking for him, it helped Odion collect his sense. But Jared had to give him some credit. It had been a month or so since they last saw each other and Odion had neither paused time, nor gone back into old memories. It wasn’t worth the risk. Odion nodded, “I won’t throw this away,” he said seriously, giving Jared a hard look, “I promise.” He wasn’t sure if his promises counted for much these days, but he hoped Jared still saw some validity in them.

Odion was walking quickly, as usual. He laughed a little and shrugged, “It is ten degrees colder here, you didn’t arrive in Mexico.” Odion had always wanted to go there though, apparently the alcohol was cheap. Once his time was healed, he was going to have to make a trip into the future to see if his liver could be replaced.

Odion raised a finger in Jared’s direction. “I did not abandon you, what was I supposed to do? Walk there?” The redhead finished off his cigarette, he only nodded in response to Jared wanting to get more smokes. “That’s a terrible habit you know,” he teased. They both had their vices; beautiful people, smoking, and drinking. At least they were able to pull each other out their addictions and back into the real world once in a while.

“You don’t have to school me in pints mate,” Odion said, pulling himself up onto one of the barstools, ordering what Jared had just mentioned from the barkeep. It was a little early, but they weren’t the only ones in here. Odion sighed, casting his gaze at Jared. “Where are you staying?” Odion asked, drumming his fingers on the countertop. He let out a huff of a laugh and then bit his lip. “You’re going to laugh when you hear where I’ve been staying,” he said, his fingers wrapping around the pint and pouring some out for him and his friend. “They don’t give you actual pints here,” Odion said with a shake of his head. It was a shame one couldn’t just drink straight from the huge plastic jug they presented to them. Well, he supposed he could, but he wasn’t that far gone.

[Jared Bell]

Jared nodded at Odion’s promise. He may have been a thief, but he still had honour. “Good, then I trust you.” He said simply. He was still on edge, and he didn’t know the whole story, but knowing Odion he would only hear about it once he was actually ready to talk, and not a minute sooner. He still hadn’t gotten the whole story about his brother, all that he knew was that Odion had a brother, who had dated Cameron Osiris at some point.


Jared chuckled, “I half wish that I had. I swear that I’ll never get a date with the amount of shrinkage that’s occurring.” His mind was back to sex again. He wasn’t as simple as one might think, but he did have a few main recurring thoughts in his head. The rest was what gave him character. Maybe he’d be able to convince someone to go with him somewhere warm for a weekend soon. He’d heard Vegas was warm pretty well year round, and from the looks of things he would be staying in America for a while. He might as well take advantage of the cheaper airfare.


Jared laughed, the first real laugh he’d had with Odion. “Cabs don’t cost that much.” He said, sticking his tongue out for a second before taking another drag. While Odion was correct about the habit being bad, Jared could instantly think of another seven things he enjoyed that were much worse. “That’s half of the allure, the other half is knowing it keeps me away from gambling if I’ve spent my savings on fags.” Odion was fully aware of Jared’s vices. They knew each other well, and were comfortable fighting the world standing back to back. He didn’t consider Odion anything other than a brother.



“Sometimes I forget that you aren’t the average wanker who I grace with my presence.” Jared said, spreading his arms apologetically. Both boys were capable of holding their liquor. The smile faded from his face and he scratched the back of his head when Odion asked where he was staying. “Well…you see… I wasn’t sure how long I’d be here… um…I’ve been letting myself into abandoned buildings and office reception areas for the past few nights… Kind of living out of my suitcase… “ He stammered out. Taking a swig of his beer he looked at Odion. “I’ll probably look into getting a hotel room or something soon… what about you? Where are you beginning your American dream?” He asked curiously. Surely Odion’s living conditions couldn’t be as poor as his own.

“It is a bloody shame… I’m pretty sure that I could pour a better pint than that. Although I think it has to do with the gas they use to propel it to the tap. It’s different than home. Or so I’ve heard.” Jared answered. He would definitely be having more than one drink. For now he would just enjoy the company. He’d been on his own since his visit with Cameron. As he thought of the blonde a chuckle escaped him. He could only imagine how Odion was going to react to that news. “Aside from the drama, how are you really doing?” He asked seriously. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to bring up what was going on with him right away.

[Odion Martins]

After everything he had seen himself do, Odion was surprised Jared trusted him to walk without falling over, to speak without snapping. A genuine smile crossed Odion’s lips and he nodded his thanks. He had always trusted Jared, even though he did doubt the brunet when the circumstances were dire, but he had always followed through, even though it was in his own way. Jared was a unique individual, and no one could tell him what to do.

Odion laughed, actually laughed. “We should go to Mexico, I’d have a place to practice my Spanish.” The master of time also happened to speak many different languages. “I’m sure you could manage to find a date there, since there wouldn’t be any shrinkage.” He wasn’t sure how they would get there, walking would take far too long, so, he guessed he would be okay with whatever.

“Savings? You don’t have any savings,” Odion said, because that simply wasn’t how thieves operated. But Odion didn’t continue to bother Jared about his vices, because Odion had at least seven other things he could easily be addicted to when he wasn’t in his right mind. Jared seemed to hold himself together pretty well though, even when he was on all kinds of different substances.

“Better than average, if you know what I mean.” Oh god, had he really just said that? Odion laughed a little at himself and shook his head. Jared always managed to get these kinds of words out of Odion. You really did become whoever you hung about with. Odion wasn’t affected by Jared’s admission, in fact, it was what he had expected. And with what their prior lives had been, it only made sense. A little grin overcame Odion’s face. “I’ve been staying in the chemistry lab at the college,” he shrugged. They were going down in the same boat. “I think we should be bunk mates again,” he suggested, since that would be a lot cheaper than a hotel room.

“Sounds like bullshit to me,” Odion said, glancing woefully at his beer, but he didn’t enjoy it any less. Some things were just different around here. Odion’s dark blue eyes slitted slightly, and he mulled the question over. “How am I really doing? What the fuck do you think?” It wasn’t said in a harsh way, but he wasn’t doing well at all, Jared knew that. Odion sighed, knowing that if he couldn’t be honest now, he never would be. He was trying to be better. “I just, I dunno mate, I just want him back in my life.” Odion lost himself in time and space, his eyes glazing over slightly as he thought of Lani.

[Jared Bell]

“Let’s do it. To celebrate. I did miss your birthday after all.” He was certain that him and Odion would one day make it to Mexico. Hopefully it wouldn’t be as outlaws, but if it was he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “Besides, we could get good tequila for once. It’s way cheaper there.” He could only imagine sitting on the beach with a drink in his hand and his brother at his side. “You just have to promise that we’ll fly.” He didn’t need to say why driving would be a bad idea, he was sure the redhead would understand.


Jared laughed, a year ago Odion’s point would have been completely valid. However, he had to make a few lifestyle changes when he was taking care of more than just himself. He had used a few friends and favours to acquire a sizeable stash for when it all hit the fan. “Well I used to not have any savings… I’ve got a few things worked out. I’m a bit smarter than I was a year ago.” He wasn’t about to tell Odion that he had smartened up because of him, but the truth was that his friend had played a big part in his growth. In the end taking Odion in had actually been good for him.


Jared nearly spewed his beer back into the cup. “That was unexpected, mate.” He said after he forced the beverage down his throat. He saw the grin creep across Odion’s face. He should’ve guessed that Odi had been squatting as well. He smirked knowingly. “Sounds good, I’ve got enough that we can get a decent place and stay there for a while without worries.” He hadn’t scouted out any apartments yet, but he had never been one who needed a penthouse. He needed a warm bed and some food, but anything else was extra. He’d rather indulge in the things he loved.


He immediately saw the same spaced out look that had come across Odion’s face in Europe. This time Jared did something he’d never done before. He grabbed Odion’s arm and looked him dead in the eye. “You’ll have him. I’m not going to let you lose yourself and him. It’s not your fault, and it’s not his. People will get their shit messed up, but look at our bloody lives. We always make it work. I promise that I’m going to help you make it work. I will not let you do this by yourself mate.” Jared said sternly, letting go of Odion’s arm as he finished. He had no idea how the redhead was going to react, but he wouldn’t let him walk out of this pub alone.

“Sorry I suck at this damn friendship thing. Usually I’m the one with a problem.” Jared mumbled. He felt the eyes of a few patrons on him, but he knew that they were just making sure him and Odion weren’t going to cause any trouble. “I think we need to get a place soon. Someplace that centers us and lets us work together. You’re the only one I trust. Hell, I don’t even trust myself.” A small smile spread across his lips. It would be good to have a place to call home. Even if it was uncomfortable for the first little while, Jared fully intended to make it a good place for the pair of them.

[Odion Martins]

Odion smirked at the sentiment. “Can’t we just go because we want to go?” He wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate his birthday anymore – the damn day was cursed. Odion laughed deeply and shook his head. “There’s no such thing as good tequila.” He liked his hard liquor as much as the next alcoholic, but tequila just wasn’t palatable, and by the time it became so he may as well be drinking rubbing alcohol. “Deal,” Odion said, being the betting man that he was, “so long as we have some pre-celebratory drinks.”

“Oh,” Odion said, shifting uncomfortably, “I stand corrected.” It wasn’t like Jared to save for anything. Seeing him be so responsible made a know of guilt collect in Odion’s stomach. He had been completely useless in Europe, and Jared had been there the whole time. There just wasn’t a card that could say, “Hey mate, thanks for saving me from myself and the insanity I was in.” At least Jared was trying to see the bright side, and for that, Odion was thankful.

Odion laughed and sat up tall. “Give me a little credit, I can amusing sometimes.” And it didn’t always have to happen while he was under the influence, although that usually did get him giggling like a mad man. “Sounds like a plan,” Odion said, making a decision in his mind that this time he would be contributing to rent, and whatever savings Jared had.

With Jared’s help, Odion came back to the present and gave his friend a blank stare. When was that kind of hell going to stop? When was he going to have proper control over time again? “You don’t mean that,” Odion said, though he was grateful for Jared’s sympathies. “You do think it’s his fault.” If Jared didn’t, then he wouldn’t have given a damn about Odion. The redhead wasn’t stupid either, and he was probably smarter than Jared when it came to matters of the heart and relationships, though he wasn’t that great at those things either.

“It’s a nice change of scenery,” Odion teased. The way he saw it, Jared owed him for getting the price off his head. Now they were square, although Odion couldn’t help but feel like he still owed Jared something. Undying gratitude? Odion would never admit to it. Odi smiled slightly. “You trust me?” After everything he had put Jared through, he still trusted in his old mate? “Alright, where do you want to be? Downtown or outskirts?” Odion grimaced and took a swig of his beer. “We sound like an old married couple...”