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Oscar packs silently but diligently, making sure to be quiet as a mouse. He glances at his alarm clock. 1 hour and 21 minutes until he turns 18. The house is quiet. Peaceful for once. No screaming, no doors slamming, no objects being thrown around or at him. He finishes packing his backpack and looks around his room. His chest feels tight. He doesn’t quite understand why it feels so hard to leave. He’s spent 18 miserable years here. He barely has good memories. He shouldn’t be sad about leaving it all behind. But a small part of him, 5-year-old Oscar in the back of his mind, doesn’t want to leave his room. His family. But 17-year-old Oscar knows family isn’t supposed to treat you this way. He slings the backpack over his shoulder and double checks his pockets, making sure he has his ID, money, and the train ticket.
He sneaks downstairs. He has years of practice at staying quiet and undetected, making sure he doesn’t make anyone angrier. He quietly puts his letter on the dining table before slipping out of the front door. He puts his key under the doormat. He doesn’t look back as he’s walking to the train station. There’s no relief yet – he could still get caught. The moon shines brightly as he takes on the thirty minute walk in the April night. He makes it to the station without trouble and sits down on a bench. No one else is out at this time of the night – it’s Tuesday. A random Tuesday. But not for Oscar. For him it’s the most important Tuesday of his life.
He checks his watch. 26 minutes till he turns 18. 31 minutes until the train arrives. He whispers a quiet “Happy birthday” to himself once the watch turns to midnight. And then the train arrives. He shows his ticket. The man checking it nods and lets him on without asking any questions.
The carriage isn’t completely empty. A businessman is leaning on the window, clutching his briefcase, dozing off. A woman is holding a toddler, lovingly cradling him as he sleeps. Two older men are having a hushed conversation. Oscar sits down in an empty compartment, getting comfortable. The whistle blows and the train sets into motion. He stares out of the window, watching the familiar surroundings disappear quickly. He wipes a tear away, feeling a mix of relief, hopefulness, fear, and sadness. If only his parents loved him – if they cared for him the way the mother sitting in the other compartment cared for her son – he wouldn’t have to run away in the middle of the night. He wouldn’t have to start over all by himself.
The rhythmic noises of the train eventually lull him to sleep. When he wakes up again, hours have gone by. He’s many miles away from what he used to call home now. He rubs his eyes. The sun is rising. Oscar drinks some water and eats a chocolate bar he packed for breakfast. The sunrise is beautiful – picturesque, like it’s an intricate painting. He spends the rest of his trip looking out of the window, watching the world go by.
The train arrives at his destination at 11.42am. He steps into the fresh spring air, taking a deep breath. This is it. His new beginning. He starts exploring the area and quickly finds a small diner. The food doesn’t seem too expensive here, so he sits at a table and starts looking at the menu. A middle-aged woman with a kind face approaches him.
“Hi, hon. What can I get you?”
“Uhm, could I have a water and the ham sandwich, please?”
“Of course. Anything else?”
Oscar shakes his head. “No, thank you, ma’am.”
The woman smiles, endeared by how polite the young man in front of her is being. She heads back to the kitchen. When the food is ready, someone else brings it out, though. A boy, about Oscar’s age, sets the plate down gently. The name tag says Alex. He gives Oscar a smile.
“You new around here? Never seen you before.”
“Uh, yeah,” Oscar answers, a bit nervous. “I’m Oscar.“
The other boy smiles. “Alex. Enjoy your food.”
Oscar takes his time eating his lunch. He thinks about his next steps, where to look for work and housing… and his look glides over to a “Hiring Now!” sign in the diner. When Alex is grabbing the empty plate, Oscar decides to ask him about it.
“I saw you guys are hiring. How can I apply?”
Alex looks up and grins. “Oh, you’re looking for work? Wait, let me send Mary over.” He places the check down in front of Oscar and walks back to the kitchen. The woman from before comes out a few seconds later, approaching Oscar’s table with a smile.
“You lookin’ for work, young man?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Oscar responds. She sits down opposite him.
“Have you ever worked in a restaurant before?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. But I’m a fast learner.”
She studies him for a few seconds. “You look awfully young to be here on your own. How old are you?”
“I turned 18 today.”
Mary gasps. “It’s your birthday? My, why didn’t you say anything- Alex!”
Alex peeks his head out from the back. “Yeah?”
“Could you get Oscar here a piece of chocolate cake?” Mary turns back to Oscar. “On the house, of course. You like chocolate, don’t you?”
Oscar smiles. “Yeah, thank you so much.”
Alex shows up a moment later and sets down the cake and a fork. “Happy birthday,” he says gently before giving the two space again.
“So,” Mary continues, “How come you’re all alone on your birthday? On such a big one as well!” Oscar hesitates and shrugs.
“Don’t really have anyone to celebrate with. I’m new in town, tryna figure things out.”
Mary nods, watching him curiously as the young man eats the cake slowly, savoring every bite like it’s a rare delicacy. Maybe it is one for him, she thinks. “So young and all on your own,” she muses. “When can you start?”
Oscar perks up. “Whenever you want me to”, he replies eagerly.
Oscar spends the next few weeks living in a hostel before finally getting his own apartment after getting his first paycheck. It’s small and imperfect, but it’s his. His own place where no one can tell him what to do, no one is yelling or throwing things or grabbing him or telling him he’s not good enough. No. It’s quiet. Peaceful. He enjoys work, mostly. Especially his shifts with Alex. They’re about the same age (Alex is a year older) and have a similar sense of humor – and Oscar is slowly opening up and starting to relax. They have a late shift together one night and it’s way emptier than usual. Oscar leans against the counter, staring at the wall.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Alex steps next to him, a good head taller than the younger boy. Oscar shrugs. Alex studies his face for a while. “You keep all your stuff to yourself,” he comments. “Never mention any family or friends.” Oscar keeps avoiding his eyes. Alex gently nudges his shoulder. “Look, I’m not gonna be pushy, but… I’m here to listen. If you ever feel like it.” He heads into the back to organize some more ingredients. Oscar doesn’t move for a while.
When the other boy comes back, he turns to him. “I left everything I knew behind,” Oscar starts gently. Alex’s face softens immediately and he focuses his full attention on Oscar. “Never had any siblings… or friends, really. My parents were strict. I wasn’t allowed to do much. Had to be perfect in everything and spend all my time doing chores and studying.” He hesitates. Alex doesn’t push. He knows Oscar will share whatever he’s ready to share.
“They were angry all the time,” he continues, his voice much quieter now, repressed fear and trauma creeping up in Oscar’s chest and wrapping around his throat like a snake. He takes a deep breath. “They’d yell every day. Throw things, shove me… hit me.”
Alex’s eyes widen in horror. “Shit,” he mutters. “That’s… I’m sorry, Oscar.” He puts his hand on Oscar’s shoulder, who flinches first but then relaxes at the gentle touch. Oscar nods in response, not really sure how to handle this now. He’s never told anyone about this.
“So, you’re here for a new beginning, then?” Alex asks softly.
Oscar nods. “Yep. Just me.”
“Well, you’ve got a friend now,” Alex says with a smile, nudging his arm against Oscar’s.
Oscar can’t help but smile back. “…thanks. You’re sweet.”
Alex flashes a grin at that. “I know I am.”
Oscar rolls his eyes. “Don’t let it get to your head.”
The two smile at each other for a moment longer, softer and fonder than friends usually would. The door opening interrupts the moment, and they focus on the customer.
Two weeks later, it’s just the two of them again. Oscar is in the back while Alex greets the guests – a middle-aged couple, both looking rather stern and unhappy.
“Is there an Oscar that works here?” The man asks. Alex is immediately on high alert.
“Nope,” he responds quickly. “Why don’t you take a seat, menus are on the table and-“
He meant to go in the back and talk to Oscar, to stop him from being seen, because he knew there couldn’t be a good reason these people asked for him. But he wasn’t quick enough.
Oscar stands there, frozen in shock, staring at his parents at the counter. How on earth did they find him?
His father immediately steps closer. “Oscar. You come back home with us immediately.”
“No,” Oscar responds, moving closer as well, his face tight. “This is my life now. I’m an adult. I can do what I want.”
His mother crosses her arms. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“He’s being a fucking brat,” his dad says, his face darkening. “You have the nerve to act like this after just disappearing on us overnight?”
“Leave,” Oscar says, his voice wavering. God, he hates that he’s still scared of them, he hates it so so much. He wants to be tough and brave, but his whole body is trembling.
His father scoffs. “Don’t take that tone with me, boy.”
“Sir, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave as well,” Alex says, stepping around the corner. Oscar’s father has had enough. He glares at Alex and then turns back to Oscar.
“You ungrateful little shit, you let your friends talk to me like that?”
With those words, he grabs Oscar by the collar, dragging him across the counter violently. His fist connects with Oscar’s face, causing the boy to yelp in pain. Alex moves immediately, pulling Oscar away to safety and punching his father in the face with all his might. Oscar’s mom is screaming, his father scrambling and holding his probably broken nose.
“You- how dare you!”
“Leave or I’m punching you again,” Alex says, “Go on. I can go another round.”
Oscar’s father curses and starts walking towards the door.
“And never ever show your fucking face again!” Alex yells after him.
The door shuts with a loud thud. Oscar is still breathing heavily and shaking, and Alex immediately turns to him.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. He’s not touching you anymore. Come on, sit down.”
He leads him to a chair, pushing him down gently. “Let me look at that.” He grabs the first aid kit from a cupboard and looks at Oscar’s face – his lip is busted and bleeding, his face starting to bruise. “Teeth still all good?” Alex asks.
Oscar nods, the adrenaline fading. The tears start streaming down his face before he can even think about stopping them. Alex frowns, his heart tightening at the sight. He presses a towel against his lip gently, dabbing off the blood.
“It’s okay,” he repeats, tucking a strand of hair behind Oscar’s ear. “I got you. I promise.” Oscar just nods. It takes him a while to get over the shock.
Alex patiently patches him up, whispering gentle reassurances, treating him like something precious and fragile. Oscar just stares at him. No one has ever cared for him in such a way. He’s patched himself up countless times and seeing how soft Alex is being just makes him want to cry even more.
“There,” Alex murmurs when he’s done. “All good.” He holds his face with both hands for a moment and sighs. God, he deserves better.
“Thank you,” Oscar manages weakly.
“Anytime.” There’s a moment of silence.
“Your knuckles look like they hurt,” Oscar comments.
Alex waves him off. “Eh, no big deal. Worth it.”
“I wish I had the guts to stand up to him,” Oscar mutters.
Alex studies him for a moment. “It’s not the same thing,” he answers, his voice still tender. “He’s spent years hurting you. Scaring you, threatening you… It makes sense, it’s harder for you to stand up to that than for me. But you faced him either way. You came here all alone, and you faced the people that hurt you… you’re brave as hell, man.”
Oscar tears up again. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Well, believe me, you’re one of the bravest people I know.” Alex holds Oscar’s chin gently.
For the first time since it all happened, the younger boy manages a smile.
“Thank you for protecting me.”
“Of course, don’t mention it. I got you.”
Out of pure instinct, Alex leans forward and kisses Oscar’s forehead. The younger man’s cheeks and ears immediately turn the most beautiful shade of pink, and Alex chuckles.
“You’re cute.”
“Fuck off,” Oscar mutters with a laugh, wiping away what was left of his tears.
“Sorry,” Alex grins.
“You’re not sorry at all.”
“True,” Alex admits, “in fact, I’m tempted to do it again.”
Oscar risks a glance up at him, still feeling vulnerable and suddenly nervous in a different way. “I’ll allow it.”
Alex smiles, not having to be told twice. He leans down and presses another kiss to the other boy’s forehead. He stays close, leaning down, their faces so close now, it feels electric. Alex leans even closer, their breaths mingling, their lips almost brushing each other. Oscar doesn’t move away, if anything, he moves closer. Alex takes that as a good sign and closes the gap.
The kiss is careful – incredibly tender in this vulnerable situation. Oscar faintly tastes like blood and the hot chocolate he had earlier, but Alex doesn’t care. He tilts his head slightly to deepen the kiss – no tongue yet. He doesn’t wanna overwhelm Oscar. They come up for air and Oscar immediately leans his forehead against Alex’s, desperate for every point of contact he can get.
“We might have to do that more often,” Alex murmurs and plants a gentle kiss on Oscar’s temple. The other boy smiles.
“Only if you take me on a date first.”
Alex’s smile widens. “Deal. How about after our shift tomorrow?”
Oscar nods. “Sounds perfect.”
He leans in to kiss him again, parting his lips this time and allowing Alex’s tongue to explore his mouth. Alex makes sure to keep it soft and careful. He knows this has been an intense day for Oscar and the last thing he wants to do is overwhelm him. Alex kisses the edge of his mouth, his temple, his cheeks, peppering kisses all over. Oscar lets out a giggle – happy, unrestrained, authentic – causing Alex’s heartbeat to stumble, like that was the sweetest sound he’s ever heard in his entire life.
“Don’t you worry about anything,” he murmurs, “I’ll be here to protect you.”