Chapter Text
Time seemed to slip through his hands quicker than a twinkling of a star, and before North even knew it, he was back to his old routine – the one before Night. His wounds had healed to some extent, at least healed enough for him to escape Adisorn’s grasp. He had also started picking up his daily shifts at Luna’s, spending more time than he should there now that he had nothing to look forward to at the end of the day.
After that call weeks ago at Adisorn’s place, Night had started keeping more and more in touch with him than before. They’d text each other throughout the day, get on video calls frequently, and sometimes when Night was too tired to spell out a cohesive text, he’d leave him voicemails. Obviously, North didn’t listen to them several times after a long day at work.
But as it unraveled, with time stretching, the frequency of their phone calls started thinning more and more. And before long, North was back to square one. Missing Night terribly with no way out. It was pathetic in hindsight; to yearn for someone who had merely even kissed him a handful of times.
He wondered what it was about Night that interested him so much at times. On numerous occasions, a part of him would point out the fact that money was something that had attracted him the most. Surely, that was a good future North was preparing himself for; a rich boyfriend to spoil him rotten. Perhaps, he could even be a trophy boyfriend for Night. Obviously, he had looks going on for him to back that one up.
But then he’d remember all the times his skin had crawled when Night would pay for him. It’d leave a sinking feeling in his stomach, the guilt gnawing at his insides as if his subconscious was worried Night would peg him as some freeloader and end up leaving him for good once and for all.
So, with the rich aspect crossed out, North had since long arrived at the conclusion that it was the attention that appeased him. Having lived long enough without someone caring for him, he was sure to act like a lovesick puppy when someone so much as threw a bone of appreciation towards his way.
Funnily enough, Night had a lot to give; anger, concern, praise, and a whole lot of other emotions he had yet to decipher.
He thought back to the time when he had brought up the idea of them spending some time together in a remote area to let Night have some breathing space from his parents. He thought back to how hopeful and happy Night had seemed in that moment as if he actually believed North would be able to pull off something like that and get the both of them a nice getaway in the woods.
“Why the long face?” Adisorn inquired, though North doubted that the man was not aware of the cause of his seemingly perpetual sadness. “You’re such a loser, kid.” Adisorn snorted, preparing his equipment before he turned towards his client, a young man who looked about ready to bolt out of his chair any moment – scared, if not by the needle being prepped for his honor then definitely by the man carrying out the said preparation.
When North didn’t take the bait as he usually would, Adisorn raised an eyebrow. “When’s the last time you two talked?”
“Yesterday night.” He grumbled, letting his head rest on the cool marble of the counter by the reception. When the sound of Adisorn’s stifled chuckle reached his ears, he didn’t waste another second in shooting up straight, his eyes set deadly on the man’s back. The redhead sitting on the leather chair in front of Adisorn looked at him sheepishly, his eyes flitting about everywhere but Adisorn.
“He just texted me to say good night. Nothing more.” He enunciated his words, ensuring he was heard before he went back to his previous position. “Didn’t even ask what I had for dinner.” He mumbled, his voice inaudible by his arm.
“Well, he was supposed to be back in a month, yeah? Should be back soon, I reckon.” Adisorn offered a piece of consolation – a rather tattered piece since a month had already passed since Night had left the country. “His parents are so stupid. Wish I could just give them a piece of my mind.” He complained, well aware that it was because of them that Night found himself in this predicament.
Sure, he loved his dying cousin and all, but not enough to miss out on school, right?
“His father could have you dead if he wished, and no one would even give a fuck about that.”
North sat up at that, pushing his face in his palm as he leaned forward in his seat. “They’re into all that fucked up stuff, huh?”
Adisorn turned to give him a ghost of a smile over his shoulder. “You should know by now that no one just gets rich like that.”
North mulled over the words, sparing the redhead a glance to gauge his reaction. The man looked as if he would jump out of his own skin if someone so much as even regarded his presence. “So if he were to kill me, you’d just let that happen?”
“If you were already dead, it’d be pretty dumb of me to sign myself up for death, don’t you think?” Adisorn addressed the last part of his sentence to his client, who looked scared out of his wits. His eyes had widened to mirror the size of saucers, the tip of his nose and cheeks a bright red. “Well?” Adisorn drawled out after a moment of silence.
“D-Definitely.” He squeaked out at last, gaze flickering to North as if he deemed him - of all people - fit to be his savior. “See? Even he agrees.” Adisorn concluded with a sense of satisfaction, resuming his work.
“Why does it matter what he cares about,” he shot back fiercely, “You wouldn’t even avenge my death or something?” By the end of his outburst, his voice had started edging towards a pitiful whine.
“Not if it gets me killed. I’m sure it’s not something you would’ve wanted anyway.”
North wasn’t stupid, he knew when Adisorn was pulling his leg. Still, it was easier to play along, if only to feel something other than the gnawing ache that snuggled itself in his chest whenever he thought about Night. He had promised to be back in a month, yet here they were.
“You’re so full of shit.” He muttered as a way of retaliation, lifting his head from the counter to give Adisorn a look.
“It’s called wisdom, kid.”
“Right. Wisdom. Like the time you told me to ‘walk it off’ after I nearly broke my hand at the gym.”
“I wasn’t wrong, at least.” Adisorn retorted. “And besides, you did walk it off, didn’t you? Look at you now – still alive.”
He kept his mouth quiet after that, slumped on the counter as he watched Adisorn hunch over his frightened client, the steady buzz of the tattoo needle filling the room. The redhead still seemed petrified for some reason, and North couldn’t help but feel a twinge of amusement at how much pleasure Adisorn seemed to take out of making people squirm.
The kid was probably a walk-in, nervous, and new to the whole thing. Come to think of it, Adisorn always had a way of making them sweat, but in the end, they always left happy with his work. Maybe that’s what made him so good at it – he liked messing with people, but he never let anyone down when it really mattered.
“So, when’s your boy coming back?” Adisorn asked, not looking up from his work, but the teasing lilt in his voice was undeniable.
North sighed, not even bothering to hide the frustration that came with the question. “He said soon. But he’s been saying that for weeks.”
“Long-distance is a bitch,” Adisorn agreed, sounding uncharacteristically sympathetic, though North could tell he was still holding back a grin. “But look at it this way – absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that shit, y’know?”
“Are you even yourself believing any word that’s coming out of your mouth right now?” North muttered, resting his chin on his hand. “But whatever. I’m trying not to think about it too much.”
Adisorn glanced over his shoulder for a moment, eyes softening just enough for North to catch the shift before he turned back to his client. “It’ll pass.” He offered rather eloquently.
“What are you getting done, anyway?” He asked, rolling his eyes as he hauled himself up from his spot. His question was addressed to the redhead, who seemed perturbed to be at the center of attention once again. He peered over Adisorn’s shoulder to get a proper look at the outline Adisorn had sketched out. “A butterfly? C’mon man, that’s so 2014.” He snorted, ignoring the elbow that jabbed into his side momentarily before the soft buzz of the needle was scratching at his ears again.
Adisorn had a rule – a rather stupid one – to never judge any of his clients for whatever they wanted to get inked on their bodies. “Um, would you rather have me get a strawberry done?” The words were accompanied by a cursory glance thrown towards the said thing inked on his hand.
North blinked once, glancing down at the tiny strawberry on his own hand, words caught in his throat. He hadn’t thought much about it when he had gotten it done. But now, with some loser calling it out, he felt a weird flicker of defensiveness clawing up his chest. He immediately straightened up, trying to bury the brief flash of embarrassment that ran through his veins.
“It’s a classic,” North muttered, crossing his arms. “And it means something.” He didn’t offer an explanation, though. Not to some random walk-in, anyway.
And so, the days passed. He’d find himself loitering around Adisorn’s tattoo parlor at least twice a week, some days, he’d convince Luna enough to pull through a night shift, and most of the days, he’d try to get through university classes and football practice. He was still in touch with Night, though definitely not via the means he would have preferred. They texted – North found time from his busy schedule for Night, he always did – day and night again, sometimes North would leave voicemails when he was too tired to conjure up a text after a long day at work.
Some fortunate days, North would also wake up to voicemails, too. They were back to how they had started, and North liked that change.
Night’s voice had changed a tad, however; a little hoarse as if the cold of New York was finally getting to him. His suspicions were proved correct when Night agreed this one night North asked if the cold was too unbearable in the States. And then, the voicemails became more frequent from Night’s end as well again, almost as if he was trying to make up for the little time they had wasted.
And then finally a week or two later, Night let him know his parents had booked a flight back home. North didn’t bother asking if his cousin was alright now, too scared to unravel another aspect of something that could possibly have Night’s stay prolonged. Instead, the very next day, he got off work like usual, letting Luna know she could stop assigning him the night shifts.
At home, things were a little bearable. Then again, he supposed it probably had something to do with the fact that he was barely home these days. He went to his room like he did every day, taking a quick shower before he flopped down on his bed.
He stared up at the ceiling, the dim light of the rising sun casting long shadows through the window. The room was too quiet. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d been depending on those voicemails from Night to fill the silence.
“You know how I told you we are currently visiting one of my father’s business partners in the countryside? The stars are brighter here somehow! Polaris is so easy to spot here, much better than in Thailand, at least. ‘Twas fun, sucks that you couldn’t catch that. Wait! I could give you a call maybe, but I don’t think you’d be able to see anything. That’s alright though, I guess. ‘S more about the experience anyway. I had the best peach cobbler after dinner by the way, and goodness North, you have got to try that once! It’s so good. And I even had sweet tea in the noon. It’s my favorite tea from now on. I asked the nice lady for the recipe, she told me she’d give me all of her recipes before we leave since I loved her cooking so much.”
It had been a month almost since Night had sent that, the very first voicemail he had left for him to wake up to. North had barely even gotten the opportunity to relish in it, having been woken up early in the morning by the incessant ringing of his phone.
“Can you see anything?” Night’s voice filtered in through the speaker, the screen displaying nothing but the murky sky. North squinted his eyes, leaning closer towards his phone to get a better look at what Night had been talking about from the moment he had picked up the call. “Are you sleepy?” The camera turned, and suddenly, Night’s face was back in the frame. Maybe, being woken up by Night this early in the morning to be shown some stupid stars wasn’t so bad, after all.
“Mhm. Slept a little late.” He answered, pushing his face more into the pillow. “When did you go to bed?” North didn’t really remember if he were to be completely honest with himself. “Twelve, I think.” His voice came out a little muffled again, the lie falling from his lips smoother than it should have. “You’re lying.” Night stated, his eyes squinted.
In the background, if he strained his ears a little more, he could pick up the sound of the breeze that rustled the trees at Night’s end. It blended softly with the distant chatter of people, something North found incessantly annoying at such early hours. He let out another sigh, pressing his cheek into the pillow as he closed his eyes.
“I am not lying,” he mumbled, even though he knew his voice lacked conviction. “Mhm, I believe you.”
The camera shifted again before he could spit out a response, revealing the endless dark sky sprinkled with faint stars. “Look,” Night said, excitement creeping into his voice. “That’s what I wanted to show you.”
North squinted again, trying to focus on the tiny dots of light, but his sleep-addled brain wasn't cooperating. “Looks the same as it always does,” he muttered, but a small smile tugged at his lips. He could hear the joy in Night’s voice, and that alone should have been worth being woken up at the ass crack of dawn.
Night laughed, the camera shaking a little before it shifted and his face was in the frame again. “You don’t get it.” He puffed out a breath, his eyes distant, probably riveted by the sky. “‘S different.”
North chuckled softly, rolling over onto his back as he glanced at the ceiling. He should have been irritated at being woken up early, he should have been. But he wasn’t apparently.
“Alright, alright, I get it,” he said, his voice thick with sleep. “They’re still just stars.”
Night’s face appeared once again, his expression full of that familiar, contagious excitement. “It’s not just about the view. ‘S... I dunno, it’s the feeling. The quietness, the way everything’s so still. The stars feel closer here, like you could just reach up and touch them. Don’t you want to experience that?”
North let out a tired sigh, turning his head to rest it on his arm. The calmness in Night’s voice was like a pull, something that reminded him of how much he missed that kind of quiet. He closed his eyes, imagining what it might be like to stand there, under that wide open sky, with the air cool and fresh around him, Night right by his side.
Maybe, they’d kiss again.
“I guess I do,” North mumbled, barely keeping his eyes open. His voice was thick, still heavy with sleep. “I don’t know… just sounds nice.”
Night’s laugh filtered through the phone, soft and warm. “It is,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice. “I swear, you’d love it. You’d feel like you’re in the middle of the universe, surrounded by all these stars. ‘S different from anything we get back home.”
North smiled, barely awake. “Yeah?” He let out a small yawn, curling up further into his pillow. “I bet it’s not the same without you showing me, though.”
“It is now. Can’t you see the stars with me?”
☼
By the time the day of Night’s arrival came around, North was a tight bundle of nerves.
He had been unable to focus at work, knowing Night was already in the same town as him. Night’s flight had arrived late in the noon. But they hadn’t been able to meet up due to Night’s parents being adamant about having dinner together as a family, and then it was pretty late in the night that the only way they could meet was if Night sneaked out after his parents were asleep. North was grateful if not anything though, he'd take what was given; getting the chance to meet Night on the same day was probably much better than seeing him on campus like everyone else after the weekend.
The air was nippy when he walked out of his house that night, the skies gloomy and leaden. By the time he made it to the football field, his heart was about to rupture itself out of his ribcage. The field was just as he remembered it, empty and desolate, with rusty goalposts and cracked concrete bleachers. The cold wind rustled the trees lining the edges of the field, and North pulled his jacket tighter around him as he reached the entrance. The overgrown grass prickled at his ankles as he walked further inside, a little relieved that Night still hadn’t arrived. He was quick to claim their spot by the bleachers, scrolling through his phone in a pitiful attempt to keep himself grounded.
His fingers hovered over the screen, mindlessly scrolling through messages, but barely anything held even an iota of his attention. All that he could think about was how close Night was now, probably on his way, sneaking out of his house to meet him here after a long day. The thought of fit sent a spark of warmth through his insides, as if some part of him still couldn’t believe he was important enough for someone to make time for him.
A few more minutes passed, and North began to feel the weight of each passing second. Oh, God what if the exhaustion of the long flight had caught up to Night and he had fallen asleep right after dinner, forgetting to inform him about the same? But they had talked just when North had gotten out of work, a mere hour ago. Surely, Night would have told him if he was thinking of bailing, right?
Or maybe, he had already left him a text and North had forgotten to notice it amidst all this – panicking, or whatever it was called. Just as he was about to check his phone again, a familiar voice cut through the quiet night.
“You didn’t think I’d stand you up, did you?”
His heart skipped a beat, his head snapping up at the sound of the familiar voice. The dim light from the streetlamps cast a soft glow on his face, the light dancing over his good side. His hair was slightly tousled, hands shoved deep into the pockets of the oversized hoodie he was donning. Unsurprisingly, the familiar sight of him still made North feel as if everything had fallen into place.
Except, as Night took a step closer, a harsh cough escaped his throat, the sound rough and dry. North winced slightly at the sound but didn’t say anything right away. Night had always been good at brushing things off, especially when it came to his health. He would probably come for his neck if he asked about it when he should have known about the cold Night had caught during his stay in the States.
He stared at Night for a good minute, his mind scrambling to catch up with his mouth. The air felt heavier around them, filled with all the things he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for. He had thought of this moment thousands of times, of how he’d react, how he’d speak, what he’d speak when Night finally came back. But now, he found himself sitting there, tongue-tied as if they had never known each other before this.
He had rehearsed this in his head a thousand times, imagined this exact moment playing out in so many ways, but none of those scenarios had prepared him for the reality of Night standing right there in front of him.
“You look half-dead,” he mumbled out, hauling himself up to his feet. Night snorted, inching closer towards him until he was standing just a few feet away. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Night muttered, though there was a subtle strain in his voice that didn’t go unnoticed. His face was pale, and his breath came out a little too ragged for comfort. North caught the exhaustion in his eyes as Night wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Are you feeling alright?” He asked before he could ask himself. “Mhm,” Night merely hummed. It was a tight grasp that North found himself in, and when he raised his arms to reciprocate the embrace, Night’s – extremely cold – hands made contact with the bare small of his back where his clothes had risen up with the movement.
North flinched slightly at the cold touch, the sudden chill making him stiffen for a moment before he fully relaxed into the embrace. “You’re so warm.” Night remarked. North chuckled softly, the warmth of Night's embrace gradually melting away the last of his tension. “Well, you’re freezing,” he replied, pulling Night even closer, trying to share what little warmth he had. His hands slid further down Night’s back, trying to ease the shivers that had crept up his spine.
Night laughed quietly, burying his face into North's shoulder for a moment. “Guess I should've dressed better.” His voice was muffled, but the amusement still managed to shine through.
“Didn’t think you had missed me this much.” He joked light-heartedly when Night didn’t seem too keen on pulling away, barely holding back a wince when Night slipped his abnormally cold hands up his shirt, pressing into the warm flesh of his abdomen. “You don’t mind, do you?” Night pulled back to glance up at him, his nose bright red due to the cold.
“Of course not,” he replied, pulling Night even closer to him.
Night’s smile widened, and he leaned in again, pressing his cheek against North’s shoulder with a soft sigh. North could feel the slight tremble in Night’s arms, his hands still lingering against his skin.
“You’re really warm,” Night whispered, pressing his cheek against North’s shoulder again, but there was a soft, raspy quality to his voice now that North couldn’t ignore. Another cough slipped from his lips, quieter this time but still persistent, and it made North’s stomach twist with concern.
“Glad I could be of use to you.” He said, his tone playful but with an undercurrent of sincerity. Truth be told, he was more than happy to be close to him like this, to feel the familiar presence of Night so near after so long. It was almost overwhelming, the sudden wave of comfort and longing that had been building up over the past weeks, and now, standing here in the cold, he realized just how much he had missed this.
Night gave a tired, but contented hum, nodding as his arms tightened around North a little more. After a few seconds, Night pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him, his eyes soft and tired. “You look good,” he said, his voice quiet but honest, the warmth in his gaze making North’s chest tighten.
His heart stupidly fluttered at the words, the sincerity in Night’s voice making it feel like everything in that moment was just right. He stared at Night for a moment, not knowing how to respond, but the emotions swirling in his chest made him want to say something, anything, that could match the depth of what he was feeling.
“Yeah?” North finally managed, his voice softer than usual, a bit surprised by how easily the compliment had slipped out of Night’s mouth. Just as eloquent as Adisorn, then.
His fingers rested lightly on Night’s back, holding him just a little tighter. “I got you some mango sticky rice from your favorite place.” He added before Night could even have a second to himself to formulate a response. “Hungry still?” He asked, walking back to the bleachers now that Night had let him go.
Night was quick to claim a spot beside him, sitting way closer to him than he normally should have. “Are you still feeling cold?” He questioned, wondering how Night could even find Thailand’s winter bothersome when he had spent more than half of his life in countries that saw much colder winters. From his peripheral vision, he noted how Night was barely even paying him any mind, gaze fixated on the ground below them.
“If I tell you something, do you promise to not get mad at me?”
“Can we talk later? I’ve been dying to,” he leaned forward to cradle Night’s jaw in his hand, pressing a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth, “do this.”
Night froze for a second, clearly caught off guard by such a brazen act coming from him. Unlike what he had been expecting, Night immediately melted into his arms, his hands finding their way to North’s arms as he kissed him back. There was still something so tentative about it all though, as if Night couldn’t quite get his head around them, as if he had been waiting for this just as long as he was.
When they finally pulled away, North kept his hand on Night’s cheek, brushing a thumb gently along his skin, along the few moles that dotted the left side of his face. “We can talk later,” he repeated, his voice softer than he intended it to be. They surely had to talk about it one of these days – obviously, they couldn’t spend the rest of their lives teetering on the edge of something so unknown. He knew they had to talk but strangely enough, he didn’t want that day to be today.
Selfish as he had been, he figured he could have Night all to himself for one more day before they would have to face the reality. Maybe, Night didn’t even like him in the first place, and North was really chasing a far-fetched dream; a flimsy cloud that could never be caught in the first place. Maybe, the sole purpose of this whole meet-up was to let him down with all the tenderness Night could muster up.
Night blinked at him, his lips still parted before he nodded his head once, settling back to sit properly – if one could count sitting properly as leaning their entire body weight against another's.
“Do you want to eat this now?” He gestured to the discarded bag of food he had brought along with a jerk of his chin. Night didn’t seem too interested, still nestled against North’s shoulder.
“Maybe later,” Night mumbled, his voice a bit muffled by the fabric of North’s shirt. There was something so calm, so easy about the way Night leaned into him, and North found himself wondering if they could stay like this forever, or at least till the end of time.
They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, the distant sound of traffic a rhythmic nose that buzzed at the back of his head. North wanted to say something but the words wouldn’t get out, his mind too unruly to even formulate one cohesive thought. It was as if someone had ceased his brain from thinking of everything and anything - stuffed with cotton and all.
After what felt like hours but was probably only a handful of minutes, Night finally stirred, pulling back slightly but still keeping close. "It's nice, isn't it?" he said softly, his eyes finally meeting North's, and for a moment, everything between them seemed to settle into place.
“Mhm. Did you see someone for your cold then? I thought it was getting better, no? Did the sudden change in climate mess things up?”
Night stiffened under his hold, his gaze flitting away from him.
“Yeah, I saw someone,” Night muttered after a moment, his gaze dropping from North’s. His hands fidgeted slightly in his lap, the usual confidence in his demeanor replaced with something more guarded. “It’s not a big deal. Just lingering longer than it should, I guess.”
North raised an eyebrow, not quite convinced. “Not a big deal? You’ve been coughing like crazy since you got here.”
Night winced slightly at the observation, and as if on cue, another small cough escaped him, his body shaking with the effort. He pressed a fist against his mouth, trying to stifle it.
“It’s just the air,” Night shrugged as if that explanation alone could wave off the clear discomfort etched on his face. He shifted his weight, leaning back into North’s shoulder, though there was an unmistakable tension in the way he moved. “The sudden switch from freezing cold to, well, this...” He gestured vaguely at their surroundings; the relatively warm Thai winter, North supposed.
He didn’t say anything, just pulled Night closer again, his arm tightening around the boy’s shoulders. He wanted to push, to demand answers, but a part of him knew that Night would only shut down if he felt cornered. So, he sighed softly, letting his thumb trace idle patterns on Night’s back, hoping that the physical comfort would do what his words couldn’t.
“You are coming with me to Jimmy’s tomorrow, I don’t know what exactly is –”
He felt the tremble of Night’s shoulders before he took note of the moisture that had taken over Night’s eyes, the words dying on the tip of his tongue. “Night?”
Night didn’t respond, instead choosing to turn more into him, burying his face into North’s shoulder.
“Hey,” He whispered, his heart tightening as he felt the warm dampness of Night’s tears soaking through his shirt. He gently cupped the back of Night’s head, the unsolicited shift catching him off guard. “What’s wrong?”
Night shook his head, his hands clenching the fabric of North’s shirt, his grip almost desperate. His breathing was shallow, and North could feel the slight tremor of his body as he tried to suppress whatever had overwhelmed him. His own hands shook as he tried to comprehend the situation, his brain scrambling for anything he could cling onto that would soothe Night’s qualms.
“Night?” He repeated, his voice barely above a whisper now, as his thumb traced soothing circles along the back of Night’s neck. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to make this better when Night refused to speak.
Night’s breath hitched as another quiet sob escaped him before he decided to pull away from him rather abruptly. His chest was heaving up and down with each breath he took, eyes bloodshot red. Night refused to meet his eyes though, pressing the heels of his palm onto his eyes, placing unneeded force with the movement as if that meager action could quell the tears that were streaming down his cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” He clambered about to get a good look at Night, deciding to kneel on the ground in front of him at last. “ Can you tell me? I don’t know what’s bothering you, but maybe I can help?” He was sure his words were jumbled, probably a messy blob of words so redolent of a dull blob of paint thrown at the wall by a toddler out of boredom.
Night didn’t respond immediately, his hands still pressed to his eyes as though trying to block out everything around him. His shoulders shook with each unsteady breath, and North felt a pang in his chest, a helplessness that gnawed at his insides the longer he sat there, watching Night break down in front of him.
“Can you talk to me, please?” He managed to croak out, his voice breaking slightly as he knelt in front of Night, his hands gently resting on his knees, searching for any way to bridge the gap between them.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Night let out a shaky breath, lowering his hands from his face. His eyes, red and swollen, flickered to North for the briefest of moments before darting away and to the ground again, as if the mere act of looking at him was too much to bear.
“I’m sorry,” Night mustered up, his voice raw from the sobs he had been holding back.
“Can you take me home?” He asked then, his hands conjoined on his lap, trembling like the rest of him.