Work Text:
A long empty stretch of road stretches out seemingly endless before the truck as Match drove. The world golden as the sun begins to dip towards the horizon like the wheat fields on either side of them. It feels like it’s only the two of them as the radio plays. Water bottles and plastic bags filled with junk food at their feet. Thad’s rolling through the radio stations, hearing snippets of the weather, news updates from Keystone City and other parts of Kansas, before he finally settles on one station playing music. Drumming fills the car.
His foot begins to tap with the beat, fast-paced paced and soon enough his knee bounces in time and up beat. The words sweet in Match’s ears.
And then Thad starts to sing in time with the chorus, his voice mingling amongst the voices, he was simply happy in the moment, and lost to the mood and the catchy beat as it swept him away, and Match thinks it might be the prettiest thing he’s heard.
In the dark you tell me of the flowers,
That only blooms in the violet hour.
Your arms are lovely,
Yellow and rose.
Your back's a meadow,
Covered in snow.
He’s not perfect in the least. At times he was out of tune, or words caught in his mouth, and out of time with the lyrics before he catches up again. But that was what Match loved as a smirk catches on his lips as he glances to Thad who stared out the passenger side window, his leg bouncing to the beat without a care, forgetting all his worries at home, forgetting whatever fight he had with his father or what heated words were exchanged. He sang imperfectly and was perfectly himself.
Thad never sings. Either too self conscious, because how could he not be after years of comparisons, or simply too reserved all thanks to his shitty family, but in this moment he sings with him. Free in this little world that consists of only him and Match and the open road.
I turned the lights out,
I cleaned the sheets.
You changed the station,
Turned up the heat.
And now your sailing,
Upon your chair.
You got me tangled up,
Inside with your beautiful black hair.
As Match looks back to the road he finds him himself mouthing the words along with Thad. His hand tapping against the steering wheel in time with the beat. He was simply happy with Thad.
When it was just the two of them they could always be themselves.