Fanfic: A guest for Christmas 01/14
A guest for Christmas 01/14
by Marea67
About: Kevin/Scotty
Rate: for now G, if it changes I'll let you know ;)
Disclaimer: Written with love not for money
Summary: Guy meets guy and, well, you know how it goes....
Just remember: This is an AU, so the usual applies; Things can/will be different. Don't like it? Don't read it.
*****
CHAPTER ONE
*****
Without another word Kevin puts down his phone and turns off the sound. He's so done with all these people and all their issues. He rubs his forehead. It's already nearly 6 o'clock, this is the last day before the Christmas-holidays and he feels like he has never needed a holiday as badly as he needs this one.
He works for another hour and a half, but then resolutely closes his files and he switches off his computer. There's nothing more he can do. It will all have to wait until the new year.
No. There is one more thing left to do. He takes the picture-frame, that's on his desk, and he takes out the picture of his ex-husband Gregory. Their divorce is finalised. Nothing more to say. It's over and done with and Kevin feels that he's had enough time to adjust to the idea and that he's ready to face the world with this news.
He hasn't told anyone at the office yet. They knew that there's trouble between them, but the all assume he's still married to Gregory, even though the divorce was quietly dealt with a week ago. After Christmas and new year, after the holidays, people will return and find the picture gone.
And only then will Kevin finally tell his friends and colleagues that he's divorced. Though he's still not sure if he will tell as well them that Gregory had preferred some surfer-boy-toy over him.
He tears the picture into tiny pieces which he throws in the paper-bin. He puts the empty frame in the top-drawer and he locks his desk. He takes one more look around his office. Everything's cleared away. When he comes back there will be clean desks, a newly painted office and an empty picture-frame. Yes, he's ready to leave.
*****
Kevin opens the door of his law-office again. He’s annoyed to the core of his very being that he had forgotten to take with him the briefcase with the files that he planned to read during the holidays. Now he had to return to his office and traffic had been murder, his mood is somewhere in the gutter and … And....
Something is wrong in his office. It’s not the way he had left it. When he had left his room, everything had been impeccable. Not the mess it is now. There’s a sleeping-bag on his couch, food on his table and … his shower is running?
Installing a shower had been a luxury that Kevin had indulged himself in, when he and Greg had taken over this small law-firm several years ago. It was a memory of working long days and sometimes sleeping at the office. It was a reminder that nothing in life is ‘easy’ and that he had accomplished everything in his life by working his ass off.
For anyone, anyone, to be in his shower without his permission, felt like a bigger invasion of privacy than the sleeping-bag or the food. He looks around for something that can serve as a weapon. Kevin is strong enough, so he’s not afraid to pick a fight with anyone, even though he prefers verbal fights over physical ones.
Eventually he settles for one of the heavy candle holders that his mother had given him ages ago, and that he has never used. He carefully opens the door to his small bath-room and walks in. It’s still half dark, with only the light above the shower being used. The water gets switched off.
He can see a hand grab the towel that’s hanging over the stool, just outside the shower-cubicle. A male hand. Oh, God, it’s a man… Momentarily it occurs to Kevin that he’d be more surprised if it would have been a woman. Kevin’s grip on the candle holder tightens, while he reaches for the lights-switch with his other hand.
The intruder steps out of the shower at the same time that Kevin flicks the switch, bathing the entire bathroom in bright light. The intruder lets out a loud scream of fear, while Kevin raises his candle holder, ready to strike if necessary. Kevin sees a young man, his blue eyes filled with shock at being caught.
Kevin isn’t easily scared, but he’s distracted for a moment that the young man is taller than him. He worries momentarily that he might not win if things would lead to fight, but then a thought comes up to him. He realizes that he knows the young man. He lowers the candle holder.
“You’re the guy that cleans up our offices.” Kevin snaps his fingers as if the name of the young man eludes him and then… “Wandell! Mr Wandell... That’s it. That’s your name.” "Scotty..." The young man whispers, not sure if he’s shocked or surprised that Mr Kevin Walker actually knows his last name. Either way it can’t be good.
“Aren’t you taking ‘cleaning up our offices’ a little too personal?” Kevin cynically asks, waving his hand toward Scotty’s half naked body, water still dripping on the floor. Scotty is happy that his towel is big enough to hide half his body behind it. He swallows hard, not knowing what to say to this lawyer, who is, so he has heard, a huge pain in the ass.
“I.. I… I’m s-s-sorry….” He stammers. “Please, don’t report this to my boss. He’ll fire me… I can’t bear to lose my job as well… Please, don’t tell him…” He practically begs and Kevin fears for a few seconds that Scotty will actually get on his knees and beg…
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t? You invade my office….”
“You wouldn’t have known, if you hadn’t come back…”. Scotty interjects. “I’ve been sleeping here for several days now and you never….” His voice trails off as he recognizes that he just screwed up. Big time.
“Several days!?” Kevin echoes, by now in full shock.
“I always clean up after myself. I know that you’re very strict about having a clean office. I make sure that there’s not even a breadcrumb to prove that I was here… I … If you hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t have known…”. Scotty defends himself.
“Oh, so now it’s my fault? I shouldn’t have been here in my own fucking office?”
Perhaps if Kevin had yelled at him, Scotty wouldn’t have been half as terrified as he is now. The cold sarcasm from the well-known lawyer makes him realize that he’s only making things worse for himself. He shivers from the sudden cold that goes down his spine. His hold on his towel becomes even tighter.
“Please, sir, don’t have me fired.” He begs. “I’ll do anything it takes.. Anything….” He offers, terror in his voice. Kevin’s eyes follow the shape of the young man’s body. Seriously? He can see the young man tremble with fear. He takes a step forward.
“What exactly would ‘everything’ entail?” Kevin asks, his sense of humor is waking up.
Scotty looks as if he’s about to faint. He can almost feel the way that Kevin looks down his body. The towel can’t conceal that he’s rather well endowed ... and half aroused ... and ... all thoughts leave his head, when Kevin’s finger rests on his chest, Kevin's finger turns and with his nail he slowly draws a straight line down... Further down.
Scotty holds his breath. He’s terrified, but at the same time, he becomes even more aroused. And the towel doesn’t bother to hide it.
“... And I’d be careful with what you answer to the lawyer who actually...” Kevin's hand slides behind the towel. “... holds your career by the balls...” He adds action to his words and Scotty gasps in shock.
“So, what the fuck are you doing in my office, in my shower, stark-naked, thinking you can offer me everything to keep my mouth shut.” Kevin asks and his fingers slide up along Scotty’s cock and Scotty has no choice but to shakily let go of the breath he’s been holding.
“I’m sorry... “ He whispers. “I didn’t use anything of your things... H-h-had my own shampoo and soap...” It’s good for Kevin that Scotty holds his eyes closed tightly, so he can’t see the amused smile that appears around Kevin’s mouth. Kevin swallows away his laughter and softly answers.
“You’d better not.” His voice is low and, so close to Scotty’s ear, it creates a shiver in Scotty body. Kevin's hand moves further up over Scotty’s side, but then he takes his hand off the young man altogether. “So? Why all this?” He asks, taking a step back and looking at the scared and aroused young man. He shakes his head. This is not the way.
“Get dressed. I want to see in my office. Five minutes.” He barks and he leaves Scotty alone in the small bathroom. Back in his office he pours himself a drink. He puts the candle holder back in place. He’s more than curious to find out what the young man’s excuse will be.
It’s not like Scotty is a stranger to him. He usually comes in every night at nine to clean up. Though Kevin hardly ever talks with him, he knows the man from face, from his good reputation and his kindness. They always greet each other with a ‘good evening’ when they meet, the young man always has a smile ready, but Kevin cannot recall ever actually having had a conversation with the man.
When Scotty leaves the bathroom, he’s dressed. He has a shy look on his face and he clearly feels uncomfortable.
“Talk.” Kevin orders and he hands Scotty a drink. He has no idea if Scotty likes scotch, but Scotty doesn’t seem to dare to refuse.
“I’m sorry...” Scotty says, his eyes big with concern. “I didn’t know where else to go... I’ve been living here for several days now.... I ... My boyfriend walked out on me. Left me for another guy. And while I tried to figure out what the heck just happened to me, I also found out that he hadn’t paid the rent in months...
The landlord was sick and tired of waiting for his money and threw me out.. Didn’t want to give me more time... I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do.. I had only a few days and then I had to leave. I didn't know what to do.... and ... then, a couple of days ago, while I was cleaning the shower, it suddenly occurred to me that I had everything I needed right here....
Couch to sleep on, a shower to wash up, micro-wave to heat up food and the coffee-machine is in the hall. Security knows me and never pays much attention to me. They don’t keep track of when I come or when I go. Add to that, that I know that you want your staff gone in time, because you don’t want the women to be alone on the streets, late at night, now that winter is here.
I also know that you’re usually gone as well at around nine-thirty. That’s when I would clean up and make sure you were gone, before I would create a place to sleep, get a shower and get something to eat... Then I get up at five and make sure this place is completely clean again by the time you get here at seven, seven-thirty. By then all of my stuff is back in my car... until the next night...”
“So, basically, you’re homeless?” Kevin asks. Scotty nods.
“Yes. It all happened so fast... I mean, one day my ex just told me goodbye, saying he had found someone else. Just like that, everything was over. Then I had to deal with an angry landlord...lost my place to stay...
And on top of that, my ex had taken my phone with him and by the time I got it back, I noticed that I had missed several calls from my other part-time job and when I called, my other boss was so mad at me for not calling sooner, that he fired me. That's half my income down the drain... I ... I just panicked...”
His voice trails off, as if he has run out of steam. He tries to wipe away the tears before they show. He doesn’t want to cry in front of Kevin. Kevin looks at the empty spot on his desk. It had been the place of his ex’s picture. Scotty’s words have touched him. His ex, Gregory, had just left him for another guy too. Just like that.
From one day to the next his marriage was over and he remembers how lost he had felt. He tries to imagine what it would have been like if he had lost his job and his house on top of that... He looks at the young man, who seems so small and so lost, and he feels sorry that he had been so mean.
‘And suddenly everything was over’. Of course with both Gregory and himself being lawyers, before Greg decided that he wanted to own an art-gallery instead, a lot of things had been arranged when they just got married. Still, it had hurt to lose a large portion of what he had built up over the years.
“Please, don’t tell my boss about this... He’d fire me on the spot, if he’d find out... I’ll do anything... anything... just, please,.... Don’t let me lose this job as well...” Scotty nearly begs. Kevin taps with the back of the pen on the table, while his mind races to find out what he’s supposed to do next.
He does feel a bit guilty, because, if had known how deeply hurt Scotty had been, he wouldn’t have acted like such a jerk.
“You can’t stay here.” He eventually says. “The offices will be closed for two weeks because of Christmas...
I can't help you here. Under normal circumstances I'd gladly help you out, by letting you stay here, if that is what you want. I trust you. It's just, ... the offices will get a new coat of paint over the holidays, so that we will start the new year with freshly painted offices in a bright, vibrant colours. You couldn't stay here."
"Oh." The young man looks even more mortified than before. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time..." His voice is nothing more than a whisper.
"I won't tell anyone about this. I suggest you finish your work, in case you still need to do something... And find another place to sleep." Kevin says.
Scotty mumbles something about cleaning up later. He turns around and is out of the door before Kevin has time to react. Kevin jumps up and runs to the door to go after the young man, but by the time he reaches the door and opens it, the hallway is empty.
Annoyed, Kevin returns to his desk.
He knows that he couldn't have done things differently, still he feels like he should have made more of effort. Scotty is after all someone Kevin appreciates to see. Sometimes he's the only friendly face Kevin sees all day. He feels like he completely mishandled the situation.
He closes his office, assuming that Scotty will clean out the office later on. Kevin walks through the quiet halls. The elevator takes its time to get to 10th floor, obviously longing for a holiday as well. Once on the elevator, Kevin watches how the floor-numbers slowly go from 10 to Basement.
He takes his car-keys from his pocket and he walks up to his car. He throws his briefcase on the back-seat and just at that moment he hears a frustrated cry, the sound of someone being very upset. Kevin isn't afraid. Only people who are permitted to be in this building can get in and Kevin knows a lot of the people that work here.
He turns around the corner to see where the noise had come from and if someone needs help. He's just in time to see how Scotty steps away from his car (at least Kevin presumes it's his), backs against the wall, slide down until he's seated on the floor and burst out in the most heart-breaking cry Kevin has heard in a long time.
Kevin remains frozen on his place for a few seconds, but then he steps forward.
"Scotty?" Though his voice is soft, he clearly scares the living daylights out of the young man. Completely startled Scotty tries to scramble back up, slips away on the concrete floor and hits the back of his head against the wall with a thud that makes Kevin cringe.
"Mr Walker! I thought you were long gone!" Scotty looks up at him, his face wet with tears and the misery clearly written in his eyes.
"Obviously... What's going on?" Kevin waves his hand from the young man to the car and back as if this explains what sort of information he wants.
"It don't matter. I'll fix it." Scotty now manages to get up, trying to regroup himself enough to at least seem somewhat professional again, but Kevin looks right through his act.
Now that he pays some better attention to the young man, and the harsh lights of the garage don't do him any favours here either, he can see that Scotty seems dog-tired.
His beautiful blue eyes seem to have lost their sparkle and his shoulders droop down as if they carry the weight of the world on them. He wants to ask even more questions, but then he hears a loud growling coming from somewhere inside Scotty.
"When did you last eat?" Kevin asks. Scotty's head hangs down.
"This morning." He answers.
"Broken relationship and homeless... and now you don't have enough to eat either?" Kevin asks, feeling like this situation is either over-the-top or really bad.
"I haven't had the time to eat. I've been looking for another job, trying to call friends to see if could stay with any of them, cleaning up..." The young man seems on the verge of tears again.
"I just wanted to make room for the things I had upstairs before cleaning up your office and ... now I have a flat tire as well. And my spare one is flat too." Kevin can hear that Scotty is close another hysterical outburst.
He seems completely overwhelmed, at the end of his rope and out of options. Now that he's closer to Scotty's car he see that there are suitcases in the back.
"You live in your car right now?" Kevin asks. He somehow still can't believe it, even though the evidence is clear.
"Yes." The whispered answer is accompanied by the most humiliated look Kevin has ever seen and Kevin suddenly feel extremely sorry for this young man, who has never shown him anything else but kindness. He simply doesn't deserve it.
For a moment, Kevin feels at a loss as well. He's not the kind of person to easily let others into his life and it's not like he doesn't have his own problems right now. Then, like a taunt, he can hear his ex-husband's words in his head.
"Why I preferred him over you? You're uptight. All you ever do is work. You're boring. You never take a risk. You never do anything spontaneous. Whatever happened to the man you used to be? You're dead and you don't even know it!"
And at that moment Kevin makes a sudden decision.
"Stay here. Be right back." Kevin says. He quickly goes to his car and drives it to where Scotty is parked. "Put your things in the back. Then we'll go upstairs and collect what you have left there. I'll help you clean up.
I'll have your car looked after tomorrow. I know who to call. And for tonight, you can stay in my guest-room."
"Mr Walker, I can't accept this..."
"It's Kevin.... Get everything in my car. And once we're done, we're first getting something to eat, because I'm starving and I'm betting you could use something in your belly as well."
END OF CHAPTER ONE
/
by Marea67
About: Kevin/Scotty
Rate: for now G, if it changes I'll let you know ;)
Disclaimer: Written with love not for money
Summary: Guy meets guy and, well, you know how it goes....
Just remember: This is an AU, so the usual applies; Things can/will be different. Don't like it? Don't read it.
*****
CHAPTER ONE
*****
Without another word Kevin puts down his phone and turns off the sound. He's so done with all these people and all their issues. He rubs his forehead. It's already nearly 6 o'clock, this is the last day before the Christmas-holidays and he feels like he has never needed a holiday as badly as he needs this one.
He works for another hour and a half, but then resolutely closes his files and he switches off his computer. There's nothing more he can do. It will all have to wait until the new year.
No. There is one more thing left to do. He takes the picture-frame, that's on his desk, and he takes out the picture of his ex-husband Gregory. Their divorce is finalised. Nothing more to say. It's over and done with and Kevin feels that he's had enough time to adjust to the idea and that he's ready to face the world with this news.
He hasn't told anyone at the office yet. They knew that there's trouble between them, but the all assume he's still married to Gregory, even though the divorce was quietly dealt with a week ago. After Christmas and new year, after the holidays, people will return and find the picture gone.
And only then will Kevin finally tell his friends and colleagues that he's divorced. Though he's still not sure if he will tell as well them that Gregory had preferred some surfer-boy-toy over him.
He tears the picture into tiny pieces which he throws in the paper-bin. He puts the empty frame in the top-drawer and he locks his desk. He takes one more look around his office. Everything's cleared away. When he comes back there will be clean desks, a newly painted office and an empty picture-frame. Yes, he's ready to leave.
*****
Kevin opens the door of his law-office again. He’s annoyed to the core of his very being that he had forgotten to take with him the briefcase with the files that he planned to read during the holidays. Now he had to return to his office and traffic had been murder, his mood is somewhere in the gutter and … And....
Something is wrong in his office. It’s not the way he had left it. When he had left his room, everything had been impeccable. Not the mess it is now. There’s a sleeping-bag on his couch, food on his table and … his shower is running?
Installing a shower had been a luxury that Kevin had indulged himself in, when he and Greg had taken over this small law-firm several years ago. It was a memory of working long days and sometimes sleeping at the office. It was a reminder that nothing in life is ‘easy’ and that he had accomplished everything in his life by working his ass off.
For anyone, anyone, to be in his shower without his permission, felt like a bigger invasion of privacy than the sleeping-bag or the food. He looks around for something that can serve as a weapon. Kevin is strong enough, so he’s not afraid to pick a fight with anyone, even though he prefers verbal fights over physical ones.
Eventually he settles for one of the heavy candle holders that his mother had given him ages ago, and that he has never used. He carefully opens the door to his small bath-room and walks in. It’s still half dark, with only the light above the shower being used. The water gets switched off.
He can see a hand grab the towel that’s hanging over the stool, just outside the shower-cubicle. A male hand. Oh, God, it’s a man… Momentarily it occurs to Kevin that he’d be more surprised if it would have been a woman. Kevin’s grip on the candle holder tightens, while he reaches for the lights-switch with his other hand.
The intruder steps out of the shower at the same time that Kevin flicks the switch, bathing the entire bathroom in bright light. The intruder lets out a loud scream of fear, while Kevin raises his candle holder, ready to strike if necessary. Kevin sees a young man, his blue eyes filled with shock at being caught.
Kevin isn’t easily scared, but he’s distracted for a moment that the young man is taller than him. He worries momentarily that he might not win if things would lead to fight, but then a thought comes up to him. He realizes that he knows the young man. He lowers the candle holder.
“You’re the guy that cleans up our offices.” Kevin snaps his fingers as if the name of the young man eludes him and then… “Wandell! Mr Wandell... That’s it. That’s your name.” "Scotty..." The young man whispers, not sure if he’s shocked or surprised that Mr Kevin Walker actually knows his last name. Either way it can’t be good.
“Aren’t you taking ‘cleaning up our offices’ a little too personal?” Kevin cynically asks, waving his hand toward Scotty’s half naked body, water still dripping on the floor. Scotty is happy that his towel is big enough to hide half his body behind it. He swallows hard, not knowing what to say to this lawyer, who is, so he has heard, a huge pain in the ass.
“I.. I… I’m s-s-sorry….” He stammers. “Please, don’t report this to my boss. He’ll fire me… I can’t bear to lose my job as well… Please, don’t tell him…” He practically begs and Kevin fears for a few seconds that Scotty will actually get on his knees and beg…
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t? You invade my office….”
“You wouldn’t have known, if you hadn’t come back…”. Scotty interjects. “I’ve been sleeping here for several days now and you never….” His voice trails off as he recognizes that he just screwed up. Big time.
“Several days!?” Kevin echoes, by now in full shock.
“I always clean up after myself. I know that you’re very strict about having a clean office. I make sure that there’s not even a breadcrumb to prove that I was here… I … If you hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t have known…”. Scotty defends himself.
“Oh, so now it’s my fault? I shouldn’t have been here in my own fucking office?”
Perhaps if Kevin had yelled at him, Scotty wouldn’t have been half as terrified as he is now. The cold sarcasm from the well-known lawyer makes him realize that he’s only making things worse for himself. He shivers from the sudden cold that goes down his spine. His hold on his towel becomes even tighter.
“Please, sir, don’t have me fired.” He begs. “I’ll do anything it takes.. Anything….” He offers, terror in his voice. Kevin’s eyes follow the shape of the young man’s body. Seriously? He can see the young man tremble with fear. He takes a step forward.
“What exactly would ‘everything’ entail?” Kevin asks, his sense of humor is waking up.
Scotty looks as if he’s about to faint. He can almost feel the way that Kevin looks down his body. The towel can’t conceal that he’s rather well endowed ... and half aroused ... and ... all thoughts leave his head, when Kevin’s finger rests on his chest, Kevin's finger turns and with his nail he slowly draws a straight line down... Further down.
Scotty holds his breath. He’s terrified, but at the same time, he becomes even more aroused. And the towel doesn’t bother to hide it.
“... And I’d be careful with what you answer to the lawyer who actually...” Kevin's hand slides behind the towel. “... holds your career by the balls...” He adds action to his words and Scotty gasps in shock.
“So, what the fuck are you doing in my office, in my shower, stark-naked, thinking you can offer me everything to keep my mouth shut.” Kevin asks and his fingers slide up along Scotty’s cock and Scotty has no choice but to shakily let go of the breath he’s been holding.
“I’m sorry... “ He whispers. “I didn’t use anything of your things... H-h-had my own shampoo and soap...” It’s good for Kevin that Scotty holds his eyes closed tightly, so he can’t see the amused smile that appears around Kevin’s mouth. Kevin swallows away his laughter and softly answers.
“You’d better not.” His voice is low and, so close to Scotty’s ear, it creates a shiver in Scotty body. Kevin's hand moves further up over Scotty’s side, but then he takes his hand off the young man altogether. “So? Why all this?” He asks, taking a step back and looking at the scared and aroused young man. He shakes his head. This is not the way.
“Get dressed. I want to see in my office. Five minutes.” He barks and he leaves Scotty alone in the small bathroom. Back in his office he pours himself a drink. He puts the candle holder back in place. He’s more than curious to find out what the young man’s excuse will be.
It’s not like Scotty is a stranger to him. He usually comes in every night at nine to clean up. Though Kevin hardly ever talks with him, he knows the man from face, from his good reputation and his kindness. They always greet each other with a ‘good evening’ when they meet, the young man always has a smile ready, but Kevin cannot recall ever actually having had a conversation with the man.
When Scotty leaves the bathroom, he’s dressed. He has a shy look on his face and he clearly feels uncomfortable.
“Talk.” Kevin orders and he hands Scotty a drink. He has no idea if Scotty likes scotch, but Scotty doesn’t seem to dare to refuse.
“I’m sorry...” Scotty says, his eyes big with concern. “I didn’t know where else to go... I’ve been living here for several days now.... I ... My boyfriend walked out on me. Left me for another guy. And while I tried to figure out what the heck just happened to me, I also found out that he hadn’t paid the rent in months...
The landlord was sick and tired of waiting for his money and threw me out.. Didn’t want to give me more time... I had nowhere to go. I didn’t know what to do.. I had only a few days and then I had to leave. I didn't know what to do.... and ... then, a couple of days ago, while I was cleaning the shower, it suddenly occurred to me that I had everything I needed right here....
Couch to sleep on, a shower to wash up, micro-wave to heat up food and the coffee-machine is in the hall. Security knows me and never pays much attention to me. They don’t keep track of when I come or when I go. Add to that, that I know that you want your staff gone in time, because you don’t want the women to be alone on the streets, late at night, now that winter is here.
I also know that you’re usually gone as well at around nine-thirty. That’s when I would clean up and make sure you were gone, before I would create a place to sleep, get a shower and get something to eat... Then I get up at five and make sure this place is completely clean again by the time you get here at seven, seven-thirty. By then all of my stuff is back in my car... until the next night...”
“So, basically, you’re homeless?” Kevin asks. Scotty nods.
“Yes. It all happened so fast... I mean, one day my ex just told me goodbye, saying he had found someone else. Just like that, everything was over. Then I had to deal with an angry landlord...lost my place to stay...
And on top of that, my ex had taken my phone with him and by the time I got it back, I noticed that I had missed several calls from my other part-time job and when I called, my other boss was so mad at me for not calling sooner, that he fired me. That's half my income down the drain... I ... I just panicked...”
His voice trails off, as if he has run out of steam. He tries to wipe away the tears before they show. He doesn’t want to cry in front of Kevin. Kevin looks at the empty spot on his desk. It had been the place of his ex’s picture. Scotty’s words have touched him. His ex, Gregory, had just left him for another guy too. Just like that.
From one day to the next his marriage was over and he remembers how lost he had felt. He tries to imagine what it would have been like if he had lost his job and his house on top of that... He looks at the young man, who seems so small and so lost, and he feels sorry that he had been so mean.
‘And suddenly everything was over’. Of course with both Gregory and himself being lawyers, before Greg decided that he wanted to own an art-gallery instead, a lot of things had been arranged when they just got married. Still, it had hurt to lose a large portion of what he had built up over the years.
“Please, don’t tell my boss about this... He’d fire me on the spot, if he’d find out... I’ll do anything... anything... just, please,.... Don’t let me lose this job as well...” Scotty nearly begs. Kevin taps with the back of the pen on the table, while his mind races to find out what he’s supposed to do next.
He does feel a bit guilty, because, if had known how deeply hurt Scotty had been, he wouldn’t have acted like such a jerk.
“You can’t stay here.” He eventually says. “The offices will be closed for two weeks because of Christmas...
I can't help you here. Under normal circumstances I'd gladly help you out, by letting you stay here, if that is what you want. I trust you. It's just, ... the offices will get a new coat of paint over the holidays, so that we will start the new year with freshly painted offices in a bright, vibrant colours. You couldn't stay here."
"Oh." The young man looks even more mortified than before. "I'm sorry to have taken up your time..." His voice is nothing more than a whisper.
"I won't tell anyone about this. I suggest you finish your work, in case you still need to do something... And find another place to sleep." Kevin says.
Scotty mumbles something about cleaning up later. He turns around and is out of the door before Kevin has time to react. Kevin jumps up and runs to the door to go after the young man, but by the time he reaches the door and opens it, the hallway is empty.
Annoyed, Kevin returns to his desk.
He knows that he couldn't have done things differently, still he feels like he should have made more of effort. Scotty is after all someone Kevin appreciates to see. Sometimes he's the only friendly face Kevin sees all day. He feels like he completely mishandled the situation.
He closes his office, assuming that Scotty will clean out the office later on. Kevin walks through the quiet halls. The elevator takes its time to get to 10th floor, obviously longing for a holiday as well. Once on the elevator, Kevin watches how the floor-numbers slowly go from 10 to Basement.
He takes his car-keys from his pocket and he walks up to his car. He throws his briefcase on the back-seat and just at that moment he hears a frustrated cry, the sound of someone being very upset. Kevin isn't afraid. Only people who are permitted to be in this building can get in and Kevin knows a lot of the people that work here.
He turns around the corner to see where the noise had come from and if someone needs help. He's just in time to see how Scotty steps away from his car (at least Kevin presumes it's his), backs against the wall, slide down until he's seated on the floor and burst out in the most heart-breaking cry Kevin has heard in a long time.
Kevin remains frozen on his place for a few seconds, but then he steps forward.
"Scotty?" Though his voice is soft, he clearly scares the living daylights out of the young man. Completely startled Scotty tries to scramble back up, slips away on the concrete floor and hits the back of his head against the wall with a thud that makes Kevin cringe.
"Mr Walker! I thought you were long gone!" Scotty looks up at him, his face wet with tears and the misery clearly written in his eyes.
"Obviously... What's going on?" Kevin waves his hand from the young man to the car and back as if this explains what sort of information he wants.
"It don't matter. I'll fix it." Scotty now manages to get up, trying to regroup himself enough to at least seem somewhat professional again, but Kevin looks right through his act.
Now that he pays some better attention to the young man, and the harsh lights of the garage don't do him any favours here either, he can see that Scotty seems dog-tired.
His beautiful blue eyes seem to have lost their sparkle and his shoulders droop down as if they carry the weight of the world on them. He wants to ask even more questions, but then he hears a loud growling coming from somewhere inside Scotty.
"When did you last eat?" Kevin asks. Scotty's head hangs down.
"This morning." He answers.
"Broken relationship and homeless... and now you don't have enough to eat either?" Kevin asks, feeling like this situation is either over-the-top or really bad.
"I haven't had the time to eat. I've been looking for another job, trying to call friends to see if could stay with any of them, cleaning up..." The young man seems on the verge of tears again.
"I just wanted to make room for the things I had upstairs before cleaning up your office and ... now I have a flat tire as well. And my spare one is flat too." Kevin can hear that Scotty is close another hysterical outburst.
He seems completely overwhelmed, at the end of his rope and out of options. Now that he's closer to Scotty's car he see that there are suitcases in the back.
"You live in your car right now?" Kevin asks. He somehow still can't believe it, even though the evidence is clear.
"Yes." The whispered answer is accompanied by the most humiliated look Kevin has ever seen and Kevin suddenly feel extremely sorry for this young man, who has never shown him anything else but kindness. He simply doesn't deserve it.
For a moment, Kevin feels at a loss as well. He's not the kind of person to easily let others into his life and it's not like he doesn't have his own problems right now. Then, like a taunt, he can hear his ex-husband's words in his head.
"Why I preferred him over you? You're uptight. All you ever do is work. You're boring. You never take a risk. You never do anything spontaneous. Whatever happened to the man you used to be? You're dead and you don't even know it!"
And at that moment Kevin makes a sudden decision.
"Stay here. Be right back." Kevin says. He quickly goes to his car and drives it to where Scotty is parked. "Put your things in the back. Then we'll go upstairs and collect what you have left there. I'll help you clean up.
I'll have your car looked after tomorrow. I know who to call. And for tonight, you can stay in my guest-room."
"Mr Walker, I can't accept this..."
"It's Kevin.... Get everything in my car. And once we're done, we're first getting something to eat, because I'm starving and I'm betting you could use something in your belly as well."
END OF CHAPTER ONE
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