Homeless Jazz (SCR)

Rod had mostly stopped paying any attention at all to either of the boys and took to musing over what he wanted to drink himself half to death with now. It hadn't been long since he'd been in Joram's bed. They'd talked for the first time in what felt like forever and for once in his entire life the Lestrange boy was able to be completely raw and unguarded. Joram had been his friend for so long it was hard for him to hold onto his secrets. What ever they had with each other had barely started. It felt so easy. Sometimes rage filled.  The fact of the matter was, Bellatrix could piss off as long as she wanted, but if he were to lose Joram, Rod would actually have no one. Rab sure. But he was his brother, he couldn't go anywhere. Joram was his best friend. Now things seemed strained and tainted. 

Tequilla. Sure. Maybe that would be a good one to drown in. "A little tequila, oh you had a lot of tequila." The boy was finding that out now as he dug through his trunk. Rod made no move to help him at all and stayed lounged in his chair for a moment, staring at the ceiling. Of course he stole a glance at him while Finn wasn't looking. When the boy left Rod scowled a little. Maybe he knew what had happened and didn't want to be in a big batch of fag soup. What ever, suit himself. Anyone who didn't want to be with Rod was missing out. Like Bells. So they had an odd sort of relation to each other. But she loved Zeke if she could handle to admit that or not. Joram was right here. He was tangible and predictable. Rod knew how to read him and how to work with him. Bells was unpredictable and down right insane. The boy found his teeth were clenched together as he looked around. Finally they were alone again. 

"Do you seriously not remember any of that? Nothing? OH this is just classic! Here you've been snoozing away the better half of the day unaware of the train wreck you caused, while I've been in my dorm hiding my face from even the mirror?" He shouldn't have been hurt. He should have just shrugged it off like he did most everything else. But then he thought back to the way Joram had kissed him. They powerless feeling that washed over him when he crept out of the Great Hall. And the candid confession of love Joram had professed to Rod the night they rekindled their speaking terms. His jaw clenched again. He definitely had a reason to be hurt. The whole school know knew about a secret he wasn't even entirely clear on himself. It was like walking the halls naked, and then realizing your Jimmy was half its normal size and shrinking. Everyone was going to laugh at him.

"Oh no, not sold. You sure polished those off yourself." Rod wasn't there at the time of consumption but he'd heard from Rabastan that the boy smelled like wading through a shattered liquor store. Telling him exactly what happened wasn't going to be easy because in truth, Rod had missed most of it up until the screaming, but he figured he could fill in the rest of it with a little imagination. But as for Joram wanting to fix things, Rod wasn't sure that was possible.

He gave a little chuckle and closed his eyes, resting his hands behind his head and locking his fingers together. "Well for starters, I don't know the whole story. Mousy does. But I really doubt she'll want to be talking to you any time soon. What with your face having broke her hand." He smirked and peeked out from under one of his eyelids at the boy. He was going to need a drink really bad after this, but he was almost out of his personal stores.

As the boy sat up a little better in his chair, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. How could he even bring himself to say it out loud? Just the thought of it brought a queezy feeling to his stomach. Saying it might actually make him throw up. The last thing he wanted was to look like a sissy nancy in front of the entire school. "We've been outed. You called Mousy's boyfriend a mudblood and it must have made her go insane or something, because then you both started yelling obscenities at each other before she yelled something insinuating that I was your boyfriend. I skipped out about then, but from what I hear you both said some pretty unsavory things to each other before you went and insulted her entire family and she hauled off and socked ya."

He shrugged and ran his hand over his face. That was as much as he could get out. Rod cleared his throat and stood abruptly. "Sure you didn't mean it, Doll fa- Joram." He gave the boy a forced half smile and fidgeted as if he were very uncomfortable. "I'd really like to talk more, but there isn't enough alcohol in the world that can get me there, and I'd really rather not be over heard. Maybe..." He rubbed his face again and feared he was going to loose his cool. Anger, embarrassment, pain, and a whole mess of other feelings were swelling in him threatening to blow him up. There was nothing he could say that didn't make him want to lash out, so Rod just shrugged at the boy and tried to keep an unwavering face.

Rod's jaw was set tightly. He wanted to talk about it obviously, but hardly wanted to offend the boy. And to top it all off, all he wanted to do was try and comfort him. Heal his ugly bruise. It made him furious that he had actual feelings. Rod had become so accustomed to the numbness that came with being the 'man-whore' everyone knew, that the change of heart was messing him up royally. Running a hand through his hair Rod tried hard to listen to everything the boy was saying. "You'll have to figure it out. Can't go around with no friends, and if you lose friends you start losing connections and then your whole business might go under." Really, he didn't want Joram to end up like him.

Joram had friends all over right now. Sure he always claimed that in the end he'd die alone, but Rod was always alone it felt. No matter how many pretty blonds or sassy red heads he brought to bed with him, Rod still felt like he could count all the important people in his life on one hand and still have extra digits. Maybe Rod wasn't rushing off to become mates with the Huffies and the Ravenclaws exactly, and there was no way he'd be caught at comic book Sunday, but Joram needed them in his life right now or his loneliness was just extended that much farther. No, Rod couldn't let that happen. "Just apologize. I'm sure they have things to say, but it has to just come from you. Listen. And.. I dunno... get them drunk and have sex with them or something. Just make them happy." That was the last thing Rod wanted him to do actually.

When the bottle hit his hand, Rod stared down at it. Grappa. He knew the bottle the second he saw it. Could even remember it's taste. The whole night was crystal clear to him. There was a long pause and then Rod firmly placed the bottle back in Joram's hand. "Save it. We'll need it later." The pair were standing very close and once a second year girl had come in and passed through to the dorms, Rod's hand found the bruise on Joram's face. His thumb gently brushed across it. Once he let his mind go and shut everything else out, Rod was able to process his actions and see Joram clearly. His rough lips connected to Joram's for a short second. It wasn't warm or incredibly loving. He was just trying to be there. To let Joram know he cared.

It didn't last and quickly Rod was moving away, up to the dorms. A mist formed along his lids and instead of going for his own room, Rod shoved through the door to the 6th year rooms. "Rabastan..." He cleared his throat a little and then pinched his brow. "Got any gin?"

As the door pushed open Integra looked up over the rim of her glasses. She only wore them to read so to see him she looked passed the frames and smiled at his face weakly. Of course she'd seen what happened. But Integra knew that the best thing for Joram was a nights sleep and a chance to just think it all over. She'd give him space until he was ready to talk about it if he needed. Without word, Integra pulled the corner of her covers up and offered it to him. Once he was snuggled in, Tegs covered him and put her arm around his shoulder.

After marking her place in HP Lovecraft, Integra set the book on her nightstand and put her glasses next to it. There was a sigh from the woman and she pulled the boy close to her. Everyone had this notion that she was a crazy lunatic woman with more wickedness that the devil himself. And while that was mostly true, what most people didn't get to see was her soft side. Integra was a very maternal girl for never having had real parents. She'd grown that way after taking care of Evan for so long and now that she was more balanced with Rab around, it was easier to let herself care for more people. Before she'd felt as though she needed to keep up a facade. But now she'd grown comfortable, and didn't feel the need to act like a total slag.

Resting her cheek on the head of her friend Integra breathed him in and smiled. "I know, Sweety." Her hand ran through his hair as she held him close to her. "Why don't you tell me all about it. I have a bottle of whiskey left over from a day or two ago and a box of chocolates I nicked off a fourth year. We can wash your face up and brush out your crazy hair while you talk and then maybe we can sort this all out okay??" Sitting up, Integra crawled to the foot of her bed and fished a bottle and the candy out of her trunk before snuggling back into the covers of her bed with him.