Road trip AU but make it hurt/comfort:
Dream is a runaway, hitches a ride with Hob, who's a traveling chef. Cue a slow trust, a budding friendship, banter, and motel sex. But first...
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“Seriously?” Hob muttered to himself as he made out the dark smudge along the highway.
Hob saw the black jacket and backpack before an arm swung out, a thumb sticking in the air.
A hitchhiker.
Something familiar made Hob’s heart stutter, recognizing the tired gait, the heavy arm, the almost hopeless glance behind the shoulder. Hob couldn’t make out the man’s face from this far, but he was creeping up fast, and he swallowed.
A part of Hob told him not to do it. Stranger danger, and all that. This guy could be a weirdo, a serial killer, or anything in between. Then again, Hob’s hands tightened around the wheel, he could get picked up by a weirdo, or a murder instead. Hitchhiking was falling out of style, and for good reason. Trusting a total stranger to give you a ride was extremely foolish and dangerous.
With only seconds to make his decision, Hob sighed loudly, coming out more like a groan, slowing the car and pulling off the road a few yards in front of the lone man.
Hob’s own experience came crashing into his brain, unbidden. Homeless, hungry, dirty, just looking for some kindness. Hoping, at the very least, for a conversation free from judgment. The experience should have jaded Hob, doubt and suspicion taking over his decision making. But the reality was Hob had somehow softened, not a foolish amount, but with the new desire to be understanding and hopeful. Hob had been this man, shamefully trudging along the road, sticking a thumb out at the sound of a passing car, feeling stupid for it, feeling desperate.
Desperation makes one do stupid things.
The silence that filled the air as Hob put his hazards on was stifling, watching the dark figure approach from the rearview mirror. Anxiety built in Hob’s chest the closer the hitchhiker came, until the passenger side door opened and a backpack, which wasn’t that full, was tossed to the floor of his car. The man came in after, sliding onto the seat and pulling the door closed with a gentle thud.
He turned to look at Hob, and Hob tried– really hard– to keep his jaw on his face.
The man was gorgeous, in a way that almost frightened Hob. Pale blue eyes that looked haunted, sunken into pale skin that looked like it’d never seen the sun. And a mop of black hair that seriously needed a combing, sticking out in odd angles and visibly dry, almost graying it.
He was also incredibly thin, like a gentle breeze would blow him away.
“Where to?” Hob finally managed to find his voice, turning away from eyes that could probably see into his soul, and back on the road.
“Anywhere.”
The reply startled Hob, causing him to look back at the young man in his car, finding him already slouching in his seat, eyes slipping shut, exhaustion overtaking him. His voice was a trembling baritone, dry and scratchy, like he hadn’t used it in ages, or he was parched to death.
Before putting the car back into gear, Hob reached behind him, fumbling around the floor of the backseat and procuring a water bottle from a large pack.
When he returned the man was looking at him, dull yet inquisitive.
“Here,” Hob offered the water and the man grabbed it with wide eyes.
Hob would’ve laughed if the desperation in his gaze wasn’t so terrifying.
He guzzled the water in 10 seconds, squeezing the plastic and gasping for air afterwards. Hob reached for a few more and the stranger took them, nodding in gratitude.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Hob felt an eyebrow quirk, wondering when the last time this guy ate or drank anything.
“Are you hungry?” Hob finally put the car back into gear and, checking his mirrors, pulled back onto the road. “Want to stop somewhere for food?”
Hob peeked over again, watching his new passenger stare out the door window, his forehead pressed against the glass.
“M’fine…”
Hob bit his lip, clocking in the sign indicating the next rest stop.
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If my mom sees a significant amount of blood she gets lightheaded, and has fainted on some occasions. Once it happened when we were kids, I wasn't there to witness it but I heard the story from my dad. Basically my brothers, around 7 or 8 at the time, were playing outside while my mom was making their lunch, and she accidentally cut her finger. It wasn't anything serious, but it drew a fair bit of blood and she passed out. My dad saw this and rushed over, but he didn't really know what to do so he just sort of started slapping her to wake her up (not recommended, but he had no idea and panicked)
At that exact moment my brothers both came in from playing, and all they saw was our mom unconscious on the floor and our dad slapping her. So, like, without even saying a word to each other they both just INSTANTLY start whaling on him, like, full blown attack mode to defend our mom. Which obviously didn't help the situation, but she did wake up and everything was fine.
Now our dad says that he's actually really glad they attacked him over what they thought was going on, because it means he raised good boys. And I still think that's true, they're very good boys.
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