Less Than Whole
folder
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
11
Views:
896
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Original - Misc › -Slash - Male/Male
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
11
Views:
896
Reviews:
1
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
4
Finally! Aloysius was on the road, sitting shotgun next to his lifelong friend, Kylie. The goodbyes at home had been long, and Aloysius had found his mother’s normally welcome affections stifling and annoying. He groused about it to Kylie who at turns commiserated and defended his mother and uncle.
“I mean, I’m nineteen for Christ’s sake!”
“True, true.” Kylie replied, and then turned his eyes back to the road. He was a careful driver normally, but during this trip, he’d kept his eyes turned on Aloysius more often than usual. “She’s just worried about you. As am I.”
“You, too?”
“Duh. I am in charge of making sure you don’t do anything stupid in the city. We are going to El Paso. People get killed there.”
“What makes you think I’m going to do something stupid?”
“Young men always do stupid things.”
Aloysius wasn’t upset at this pronouncement. Instead, he grinned and pushed his white hair back. “What kind of stupid things did you do as a young man?”
Kylie smiled, showing all of his teeth, especially his sharp eye teeth. Against his black skin and the bright lemon yellow of the sun, they practically glowed white. He said, “I was never a young man, but when I was younger, I did many stupid things. That’s why I am where I am now.”
“What do you mean?”
“In Texas, driving a car, I mean. I love you, Aloysius. You’re like a brother to me, as much as anyone can be a brother to me. But my heart is in my home land, Ireland. You notice I always carry a bit of it around with me.” He patted his necklace with its heavy charm that rested against his skin. It was, in Aloysius’s mind, a very silly looking charm. It looked like a stylized four leaf clover. As a kid, Aloysius had teased Kylie about his “lucky charms.” Kylie never responded well to such jibes, saying he looked nothing like a leprechaun.
“I did so many stupid things; I was forced to leave my home country. You understand?”
Aloysius did—a little at any rate. Mostly, he was impressed that Kylie was sharing his life before he’d come to the ranch. Kylie did not talk much about his past. It was the only thing Aloysius could see that he kept to himself. Otherwise, Kylie was usually very open and friendly.
“So, how much farther?” he asked to change the subject.
“About four hours, I think. We can stop and get some junk food if you’d like.”
“I would like that.”
“I knew you would.” He was silent for some time, and Aloysius worked at trying to find a radio station that didn’t just play country or mariachi music.
Kylie glanced sideways at him, his yellow eyes sliding like a cat’s. “Hey, Ally, I was wondering if your mom ever told you anything about your dad.”
He looked up from the radio and shook his head. “She’s never talked about him. Never.”
“You ever wonder about your dad?”
“Not really.” Then he smiled. “Are you my dad?”
This made Kylie laugh. “Are you kidding? Look at how white and pasty you are!”
“I am not pasty.”
“Fish belly white, is what you are!”
“Did you know my father?”
“No, but I know of him. Because of that, I just want you to be careful in the city, OK?”
“OK, I was going to anyway. I don’t want to get murdered.” He gave Kylie a roll of his eyes that he knew Kylie saw.
“Aloysius, there’s really no good way to say this: I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about other people you might come in contact with.”
Aloysius started feeling scared. “Why?”
“Because of what I know about your father.”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
Kylie didn’t answer. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and stared at the road. It was empty, just as it had been for the past hour or so. “I can’t. It’s not my place. I said more than I should. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t know about your father. I’m just saying it’s not my place.”
“Was he a criminal? Maybe a martial artist and I’ve inherited his killer reflexes?” He tried to sound light, like it didn’t matter to him. But Kylie took offense.
“It’s not a joking matter!” he snapped.
The car was so incredibly quiet for a long time. Kylie didn’t break the silence, but after a while, without looking for it, he found Aloysius’s hand and squeezed it. He held on for a long time, then let go.
“There’s a burger place off the road next exit,” he said.
“I’ll be careful,” Aloysius said.
“At the burger place? You’re right. There’s a lot of cholesterol in cheeseburgers.”
“No! You know what I mean.”
”I do, and I thank you.”
“I mean, I’m nineteen for Christ’s sake!”
“True, true.” Kylie replied, and then turned his eyes back to the road. He was a careful driver normally, but during this trip, he’d kept his eyes turned on Aloysius more often than usual. “She’s just worried about you. As am I.”
“You, too?”
“Duh. I am in charge of making sure you don’t do anything stupid in the city. We are going to El Paso. People get killed there.”
“What makes you think I’m going to do something stupid?”
“Young men always do stupid things.”
Aloysius wasn’t upset at this pronouncement. Instead, he grinned and pushed his white hair back. “What kind of stupid things did you do as a young man?”
Kylie smiled, showing all of his teeth, especially his sharp eye teeth. Against his black skin and the bright lemon yellow of the sun, they practically glowed white. He said, “I was never a young man, but when I was younger, I did many stupid things. That’s why I am where I am now.”
“What do you mean?”
“In Texas, driving a car, I mean. I love you, Aloysius. You’re like a brother to me, as much as anyone can be a brother to me. But my heart is in my home land, Ireland. You notice I always carry a bit of it around with me.” He patted his necklace with its heavy charm that rested against his skin. It was, in Aloysius’s mind, a very silly looking charm. It looked like a stylized four leaf clover. As a kid, Aloysius had teased Kylie about his “lucky charms.” Kylie never responded well to such jibes, saying he looked nothing like a leprechaun.
“I did so many stupid things; I was forced to leave my home country. You understand?”
Aloysius did—a little at any rate. Mostly, he was impressed that Kylie was sharing his life before he’d come to the ranch. Kylie did not talk much about his past. It was the only thing Aloysius could see that he kept to himself. Otherwise, Kylie was usually very open and friendly.
“So, how much farther?” he asked to change the subject.
“About four hours, I think. We can stop and get some junk food if you’d like.”
“I would like that.”
“I knew you would.” He was silent for some time, and Aloysius worked at trying to find a radio station that didn’t just play country or mariachi music.
Kylie glanced sideways at him, his yellow eyes sliding like a cat’s. “Hey, Ally, I was wondering if your mom ever told you anything about your dad.”
He looked up from the radio and shook his head. “She’s never talked about him. Never.”
“You ever wonder about your dad?”
“Not really.” Then he smiled. “Are you my dad?”
This made Kylie laugh. “Are you kidding? Look at how white and pasty you are!”
“I am not pasty.”
“Fish belly white, is what you are!”
“Did you know my father?”
“No, but I know of him. Because of that, I just want you to be careful in the city, OK?”
“OK, I was going to anyway. I don’t want to get murdered.” He gave Kylie a roll of his eyes that he knew Kylie saw.
“Aloysius, there’s really no good way to say this: I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about other people you might come in contact with.”
Aloysius started feeling scared. “Why?”
“Because of what I know about your father.”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
Kylie didn’t answer. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and stared at the road. It was empty, just as it had been for the past hour or so. “I can’t. It’s not my place. I said more than I should. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t know about your father. I’m just saying it’s not my place.”
“Was he a criminal? Maybe a martial artist and I’ve inherited his killer reflexes?” He tried to sound light, like it didn’t matter to him. But Kylie took offense.
“It’s not a joking matter!” he snapped.
The car was so incredibly quiet for a long time. Kylie didn’t break the silence, but after a while, without looking for it, he found Aloysius’s hand and squeezed it. He held on for a long time, then let go.
“There’s a burger place off the road next exit,” he said.
“I’ll be careful,” Aloysius said.
“At the burger place? You’re right. There’s a lot of cholesterol in cheeseburgers.”
“No! You know what I mean.”
”I do, and I thank you.”