"It looks like the bartenders just got here," Kaye started as he pushed himself up, yawning and stretching tiredly in the process. "Maybe eight-thirty or nine?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to fix it as he looked around the room. No one was back here yet, so the two could probably leave through the back door.
Simon nodded, stifling a yawn and rubbing at his tired eyes. “Alright.. they won’t be mad we slept over?” He asked this just to clarify— the last thing he wanted to do was offend someone else. He’d caused enough trouble in the bar last night…
"The manager won't mind. And if he does, Ashley can help us out," Kaye answered with a faint, lopsided smile as he looked up towards Simon. The other man still appeared tired and distraught, and his eyes couldn't help but glance down at their bandages in worry. "How's your shoulder holding up?"
“It’s fine.” The reply was automatic, rehearsed. Simon couldn’t help but wince at how unconvincing it sounded, even to him. “I don’t really register the pain at this point.” Parting at his pockets, he made sure he still had his threadbare wallet and (very) damaged phone, the only possessions he’d brought with him to the bar, other than his jacket, which was slung over the arm of the couch.
Kaye nodded, unsure what to reply with when he sensed something a little off about Simon's answer. He was worried that it was hurting them, though the other man wouldn't say anything. "Do you want to go somewhere? Maybe get breakfast?" He proposed after a few moments, a faint, guarded expression on his face as if he were waiting for Simon to say no.
Simon’s head turned at this, a little sharply, as if he had not been expecting the question. Almost against his will, his stomach growled. Breakfast. He’d eaten it yesterday, courtesy of Kaye, wasn’t it a waste of money to eat it again today? But Kaye’s face held a careful expression, as if he were putting himself out on a limb, as if he was expecting Simon to decline. And as much as it went against his logic, he replied in the affirmative. “Sure. Breakfast would be nice.”
Kaye nodded, careful not to bite down on his stitched up lip as he thought. "Let's go out the back door. I don't want to startle anyone in the bar," he explained after a few moments, motioning to the heavier, steel door to their left. Approaching it, he kept it open, not wanting Simon to exert anything on his now injured shoulder.
Wondering if he would come to regret the decision, Simon turned and followed. “Thanks,” he told Kaye, a bit hoarsely, as he exited through the door being held open for him. “And, uh,” He cleared his throat, squinting as the unfortunately bright sunlight hit his face. “I can pay for breakfast. I owe you one.”
Kaye opened his mouth to protest or tell Simon that he would pay instead, though he quickly closed it, deciding against that. "Are– are you sure? I can split it with you," he added on, not wanting Simon to feel as if he needed to repay him for something.
Simon knew his bank account probably couldn’t handle it, but he nodded anyways. It wasn’t as if he could leave this debt unpayed, he owed Kaye. A lot. And he wasn’t going to just turn his back on that. “It’s fine. Where’s this place?”
"I think it's a little farther away. Just a couple blocks down," Kaye explained with a small shrug as he walked through the door after Simon, closing it behind him. They found themselves in an alleyway and he grimaced, not very fond of these dark places where he found himself in most trouble…though this had been the way that he had met Simon after all.
Simon regarded the alley with more than a little apprehension, turning to face the street. “Right. Let’s go before we offend some gang.” He dragged a hand through his tangled hair, wishing he had a brush to sort out the messy curls.
Kaye nodded and began to walk down the alleyway, occasionally moving slightly to dodge a few murky puddles before the two made it on the street. He wasn't sure of what he could say to make conversation with Simon, and instead stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets, trying to keep himself busy.
Simon glanced sideways at Kaye, who was silent. He cleared his throat, saying the first thing that came to mind. “Are you hungover at all? From last night?”
"No, not really," Kaye answered, shaking his head slowly since it had a slight throbbing feeling. He could handle his alcohol pretty well, though it always depended on what kind of drink he got. "How's the shoulder feeling?"
Simon has barely registered the pain until now that it had been pointed out. Drawn to his attention, the shoulder did hurt, but it was bearable, he could handle it. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
Kaye nodded and tugged on his bottom lip nervously, ignoring the pain it evoked from his stitches. He usually knew what to say around other people, though for some reason, being around Simon made him feel flustered and second guess most of what he said. Did this mean…he was he starting to like Simon? No. You can't. You're just friends, Kaye told himself. Just friends. And what made him think that Simon would ever feel the same way? He shook his head and released a sigh, his features almost appearing wound up and lost in thought.
Simon gave Kaye a quizzical look, searching his features for an indication of why he had gone quiet so quickly. “What’s on your mind?” The softness of his own voice surprised even him, and he cleared his throat to dispel it.
"Oh, it's–it's nothing," Kaye said, a bit of a stammer in his voice when he realized that Simon had spoken to him. "I'm just thinking about yesterday, that's all." Sure, he wasn't thinking about the fight specifically, though it would make sense for him to be wondering about the multiple incidents from last night. After all, he did have a few questions.
Simon raised an eyebrow but nodded, raising a hand to shield his eyes against the bright glare of the sun. He sighed, long and deep, and after a minute of grappling with himself, he spoke again. “If you have any questions about yesterday just… ask. I owe you that much.”
Kaye nodded and glanced up towards Simon, taking a moment to think and steady himself before he asked any questions. "Is your mom…is she alright?" He asked, his tone softening noticeably, which caught him off guard. It was rare for him to be so sensitive and calm, though somehow he felt as if he needed to be that way with Simon at times.
Simon gave a tense shrug, as if he didn’t care, though really it mattered the world to him. Why, he had no idea— why should he be this torn up about her? Why did she all of a sudden miss him? “I guess so. I don’t know much beyond what Erik said last night… I haven’t seen or been in contact with her for years.”
Kaye nodded, thinking back towards Simon's younger brother. The other man worried him a bit, with the lack of emotion and blank expressions, which made him wonder how Simon was even related to them. "Will you go and see her?" He asked after a few moments.
Simon fell silent for what felt like a long time, a mental battle raging on in his head. After a lengthy pause, he cleared his throat, careful to keep his eyes averted. “I don’t know.” His voice was hoarse, betraying the struggle behind the decision.
The distress behind Simon's words became noticeable and Kaye's brows drew together in concern, wondering if it was the wrong question to ask. The last thing he wanted was for the other man to be reminded of bad memories or things he'd rather not talk about. "We…you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," he added after a long pause, carefully choosing his words, which was an odd change for him.