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Felix doesn’t sneak out, he yanks the door open so hard it smacks the wall. His friend is already there, like he’s been waiting for the explosion. “Don’t,” he says.
Felix lets out a short, sharp laugh. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t go looking for shit to break.”
Felix grabs his jacket off the chair. “I’m not looking for anything.” That’s a lie. He already knows where he’s going. The construction site is three blocks down with a new security system – which calls for a fresh challenge. He wants to see if he can outrun it.
“You promised you’d stop,” his friend says, stepping in front of the door.
Felix’s expression hardens. “You keep saying that like it matters.”
“It does.”
“It doesn’t.” He steps closer. Close enough that their chests nearly brush. He can see the tension in his friend’s jaw. “You don’t get to police me,” Felix says, voice dropping. “I’m not your fucking project.”
“I’m not trying to fix you.”
“Yeah?” Felix snaps. “Then stop acting like I’m broken.” His friend doesn’t move, it sets him off like a bomb.
Felix shoves him. Hard. His friend stumbles back into the table, knocking something over. The crash feels good. “Jesus, Felix!”
“Move.”
“No.” Felix grabs him by the collar this time.
His grip isn’t careful, it’s tight. His knuckles are white as he feels the fabric twist under his fist.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” Felix growls. “You’re not in charge of me. You’re not my handler.”
“I’m trying to stop you from doing something stupid!”
“It’s not stupid if I don’t get caught.”
“That’s not how that works!”
Felix leans in closer. He can feel his own pulse hammering. The rush is already building and he hasn’t even left yet. “You think I give a shit about rules?” he mutters. “You think some ‘No Trespassing’ sign is going to scare me?”
“I think you’re going to get yourself killed.”
“And?” His friend stares at him like he’s waiting for the rest. For remorse, for any sense of fear.
There isn’t any.
Felix releases him with a shove instead of a hit. He thinks about hitting him – just to see the shock on his face.
But that’s not worth the aftermath is it now?
“You’re so fucking annoying,” Felix says, dragging a hand through his hair. “Always stalking me. Always moralizing. It’s exhausting. Don’t you think the same?”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“I am alive,” Felix snaps. “That’s the problem.” The room feels too small, too still. He needs movement: noise, risk. Something that spikes.
His friend steps in front of the door again. “Please,” he says, quieter now. “Just stay tonight.”
Felix’s jaw tightens. Why won’t you back down? He could lie again. Say he won’t go far. Say he’ll just walk around the block. He probably will say that later if he needs to.
But right now he’s too pissed to bother smoothing it over.
“If I get arrested,” Felix says flatly, “don’t come pick me up.”
“You scared me last time,” his friend says, voice cracking just slightly. Felix feels something flicker at that. Not guilt, not quite.
Annoyance.
“Then stop watching,” he shoots back. His friend looks at him like he doesn’t recognize him anymore. Felix grips the doorknob.
“One day I won’t,” his friend says. Felix pauses – just for a second or two – thinking about the idea of not being restrained by. No one caring enough to get mad. Is it as freeing as he thinks it is?
He cuts the thought off. “Tch. Yeah,” he says coldly. “Sure.” And he slams the door behind him.