Chapter 5 #2
I saw the guards rushing towards us just as Adam let go of Crusher, who dropped to the floor unconscious.
“One more incident like this and you’re getting the hole!" Guard Asshole growled. "Now fuck off to your cells. No dessert for you two troublemakers, and no TV either.”
The hole, otherwise known as solitary confinement, wasn’t something we could afford, so we kept our mouths shut.
We were almost at the door when a tall, red-haired man stood in our way.
We stopped in our tracks, and weirdly enough, the guards stopped too, as if the red-haired man ordered them to.
His pale gray eyes swept over us both before he spoke in a low, slightly raspy voice.
“New fishes, rule number one. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If you want to join me, come see me tomorrow.”
“And you are?” Adam said, although he already knew this guy’s name, just like I knew it.
“I’m Santiago. I suggest you remember my name if you want to last here more than a week.”
Adam nodded, and that was that. We made the first step in the right direction, but we also caused a brawl. Yay, us?
“Good work, partner,” I said, once in our cell. “We made Santiago come to us, just like you said we should.”
“I’m glad you approve,” Adam said dryly.
“You should stop picking fights over me, though,” I added, slipping out of my jumpsuit. “You’ll get us into trouble.”
Adam gave me an incredulous look. “I’ll get us into trouble? That’s hilarious, but sure, no problem. The next time Crusher drops by, I’ll let him ram his dick inside you. By all means.”
I rubbed my forehead, feeling the headache coming on.
“What is it now?” Adam said with a frown.
“You’re getting on my nerves, and my head hurts,” I replied, trying not to move my eyelids. It wasn’t easy, though, because I needed to blink from time to time.
When I felt hands on my forehead, I jerked in surprise.
"I swear, it's like living with a child," Adam said mockingly, massaging my temples. “Better, princess?”
For once, I had no witty reply. No, “peachy, pumpkin” from me this time, but I was getting hard, so I slapped his hands away.
“The fuck?” Adam exclaimed. “I’m not afflicted with the plague. What kind of reaction was that?”
“No, it’s…” I paused, not knowing what to say. “It hurts, that’s all.”
“I was just trying to help,” he said, sounding offended and throwing his mattress on the floor. “By the way, I’m going to have a weird ask, so don’t freak out. Would you mind sleeping next to me tonight?”
I turned to look at him, convinced that I’d heard him wrong.
“What?”
He gave me a blank stare. “Would you mind sleeping next to me tonight?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
“The thing is, on our way here, you fell asleep on the bus,” Adam said, starting what I hoped was a good explanation. “After that, I fell asleep, too.”
I blinked in confusion. “And?”
“As I said, I’m an insomniac. Falling asleep is usually a mission impossible for me, but that day on the bus, I slept like the dead. Since then, I keep wondering if being close to you makes me sleep. Tonight, I would like to test that theory.”
“I can’t even…” I shook my head, unable to proceed.
“Look, I know you don’t owe me anything,” Adam continued. “I also know we didn’t always get along, but—”
“Get along?” I exclaimed, blinking in disbelief. “You have been treating me like shit since the moment you met me!”
Adam cocked his eyebrow. “So now you’re getting back at me?”
“No, I’m just confused,” I muttered, glancing at the mattress on the floor. “Besides, we won’t fit there. You’re too… big.”
Why did I say that? And now I was blushing. Dammit.
“We will if we add yours,” Adam countered.
He threw my mattress on the floor next to his and lay down, ignoring my shocked expression.
“Come here, princess,” he said, patting the spot next to him. “Plenty of space here. Don’t get all shy on me now.”
Fucking hell.
“Okay, just, n-no touching,” I stammered, lying down next to him, because what else was I supposed to do?
Adam frowned. “Why would we be touching, weirdo?”
“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “I’m tired. Let's just go to sleep.”
I could feel him shoulder-to-hip, and it was messing with my mind. He seemed unbothered by it, while I was in survival mode, which added to my everlasting frustration.
“I’ve never slept next to someone before,” Adam mused. “It’s weird as fuck.”
“Not even with a girlfriend?” I murmured, trying to find a more comfortable position.
“I don’t do girlfriends. I fuck, but I don’t do that relationship shit.”
Shocker.
“What about you?” Adam said, sounding amused. “How’s that asexual thing going for you?”
I cleared my throat because… awkward.
“Um… I guess I’m still figuring things out. I mean, I have been in a relationship before… I mean, with a woman, but it was ages ago.”
“And you had sex with her? Or are you a virgin?”
“No, I’m not a virgin!” I exclaimed. “Yes, we had sex. It was a normal relationship. It’s just that outside of relationships I find myself… indifferent.”
Until your arrogant ass came along.
“Uh-huh. And when was the last time you had sex?”
“I can’t remember,” I replied honestly because fuck him. “You?”
“Same, I guess. Fighting crime makes me lose both my appetite and libido. I have another weird ask, by the way.”
I rolled my eyes. “Now what? My back is already killing me.”
“Can you turn toward me?”
Jesus H. Christ. Kill me now.
“W-why?”
“It’s just that on the bus, I could feel your breath on my neck, and it made me feel sleepy,” Adam explained. “Can you roll over to the side and come closer to me? I won’t touch you if that’s what worries you.”
Ridiculous and getting more ridiculous wouldn’t begin to cut it. Still, I turned toward him, hoping it would shut him up. I also kept my eyes closed because I didn’t need a visual of the position that we found ourselves in.
“Thanks, weirdo,” Adam said, yawning. “I appreciate it. Maybe I will make you that dinner after all.”
“Wow. So much connection, it hurts,” I said, suppressing the need to punch him.
Adam chuckled. “You're a funny guy, Slade.”
"You're not," I blurted, sounding exasperated. "Look... I just don’t get it, okay? It’s as if you had a personality transplant or something. You’re not acting like yourself since we came here.”
“Does it matter? When we get out of here, things will go back to how they were, anyway.”