Road to Anywhere (boyxboy)

Chapter 1:Welcome back

"We've had the best time, haven't we Clark."

☆

"What time did you say you were expecting them?" Oliver questions as he looks through the glass fronted door of the eclectic bookstore. His body slouched over the counter, keeping him from crashing to the floor completely with boredom, with the only strength he did possess, being used to shovel the chips and battered fish into his mouth. 

"They just said after lunch." Morton replies, gazing in the same direction as Oliver, as he heads away from the window, feather duster in hand. He then turns and looks at his friend's obviously fed up demeanour. "You don't have to be here you know." 

Oliver stands up a little straighter at the words. "I'm not bored." 

"Yes you are." Morton laughs. "I can tell." He heads around the back of the counter, finding some polish and a cloth. "Why don't you help me? Clark will kill me if sees his precious bookstore looking like a forgotten attic." 

Oliver grabs the cleaning products being offered to him. "This place is a forgotten attic." Oliver chuckles. "I don't know how he makes his money."

"You know, when people visit here, It's usually because they have made a point of it. They want something specific. I mean…" Morton pulls a book from the shelf and reads out the title. "One Hot Summer…this is a yaoi book. You're not gonna find that sort of thing in WH Smith are you?" 

"You almost sound like him." Oliver smiles. "Are you sure you want to hand back the keys?" 

"Gladly." Morton says, with relief. "Six months has been long enough."  

"What will you do next?" Oliver questions as he half heartedly buffs up the cash register with the cloth.  

"I don't know?  The world is my oyster as they say." Morton sighs. 

"And what is your oyster?" 

"Like I said, I don't know." Morton huffs as he heads back around the counter, putting the feather duster on a low shelf. "But I need to do something because not only do I need to find another job, I need a place to stay. Clark will no doubt want his room upstairs back."

"He may not." Oliver interrupts. "He may just move in with Roshan. The guy owns a house." 

"I suppose..." Morton shrugs, "but still, I need to stop relying on Clark for everything. I need to stop wasting my life away." 

"Well if you're going down that road, that makes two of us. I mean, I don't mind working at the petrol station, but I don't want to think I'll be there forever. Visiting you here is my highlight." Oliver laughs.

"Shit! Then you are having a crisis!" Morton laughs, but his smile soon fades when he sees the familiar red convertible mini pull up in front of the shop, the soft top down, with the driver adorning some mirrored sunglasses, whereas the passenger was sporting a thick fleece, zipped up to the neck, looking decidedly perished. "They're back. Quick, hide the chips!" Morton panics as Oliver reluctantly pushes their shared half eaten lunch in the bin, whilst Morton sprays some airfreshener to eradicate the fishy smell. They now find themselves standing behind the counter, like soldiers in a barracks, waiting for an inspection. 

The door opens and in steps Roshan. "Hey hey hey!" He says with a grand entrance as he pushes his sunglasses onto his head. "Did you miss us?"

"Hey Chef, hey Clark." Morton and Oliver reply in unison. Clark soon follows, rubbing his hands together. 

"Ro, you don't have to have the top down all the time." Clark complains, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. 

"We've had the best time, haven't we Clark. We went fishing on the coast of Italy, climbed the mountains in Switzerland, made sweet love on the beaches of Spain…"