Chapter 6 part 2

Samuel

Samuels leg thanked him as he finally sat down, taking the pressure off of it. Ellie was now curled up in his arms and her crying had nearly completely stopped. Matias, who had stayed back in the kitchen a moment longer, finally approached the couch and sat down.

"Sorry, let me put her to bed and I'll finish taking care of that" Samuel spoke in a low voice while gesturing to Matias's arm.

"Nooo" Ellie pouted quietly, already beginning to fall into a deep sleep.

"Ellie, darling, you're already half asleep" Samuel gazed down at her lovingly.

Samuel still had questions for Matias. His brain couldn't take much more back and forth in once night. He ran his hand through Ellie's hair with care.

"You said I could stay.. you promised" Ellie attempted a pouty voice but ended up jumbling her words as she grew more tired.

Samuel sighed. He really needed to figure out what exactly happened to Matias, but couldn't ask with his daughter here. But he couldn't break her trust either.

He glanced down looking at his daughter who was desperately trying to remain awake.

"Alright, but you're going to have to lay down over here so I can keep treating Mat's boo-boos, okay?" Samuel patted the spot on the couch beside him.

"Mhm" Ellie barely hummed.

Samuel laid her down before turning to face Matias. He picked up some cleaning supplies and cotton balls with one hand and grabbed Matias's arm with the other. He took a moment to situate his supplies on the couch, never letting go of Matias's arm. He glanced up to see Matias leaning his head back on the couch and breathing slowly.

"You feeling okay?" Samuel tried to sound as relaxed as he could, though his heart was racing and he was more tired than ever.

"I almost died a couple of hours ago, I'm as good as I'm going to get" Matias replied, sounding sarcastic as usual.

"Ha ha" Samuel replied annoyed. He had actually said 'ha ha'.

Silence filled the room once more. Samuel finished cleaning up the area of the wound and was now ready to bandage it. He bent down slowly and picked up a few more things he needed to wrap it up and set them on the couch.

"I am serious though.. if you're feeling bad, whether it's physically or mentally, please speak up about it"

Samuel looked at Matias who had his eyes glued to the ceiling, his head still back on the couch.

"Matias.." Samuel tried to draw his attention but got no response.

"Matias, look at me."

Samuel made his voice more serious but the soft look on his face remained unchanging. Ever since he heard the real story of how Matias became 'the villain' he felt the growing need to comfort him. Matias seemed like he wasn't telling Samuel something since he got here, which was fair, but still made Samuel a little sad.

Matias raised his head off the couch and tilted it in Samuels direction. His eyes finally met Samuels. Samuel couldn't help but gulp back a ball of saliva and take a long breath.

"It's obvious something is bothering you, Matias. And I know it's more than just the pain from your injuries."

Samuel looked through his eyelashes up at Matias.

"I completely understand if I'm not the first person you'd want to talk to, but please stop pretending like nothing is wrong"

Matias didn't move a muscle. His eyes seemed to stay open longer than normal before blinking and his breathing was soft. Samuel wanted to hug the man again. He wanted to wrap his arms around Matias and sit there for hours, but he was painfully aware that he couldn't do that.

"If I tell you, it will put us back right where we started." Matias eventually said, not breaking the strong eye contact between him and Samuel.

"What? What does that even mean?" Samuel blurted without thinking.

"I mean why would we go back to that? We understand each other better, right?" Samuel tried, and failed, at recovering himself.

"Can we talk about it another time." Matias completely shut down Samuel, though they both somehow remained locked in each others eyes.

"Yeah.. it's up to you" Samuel said, mesmerized.

He focused on nothing but Matias's light grey eyes. He was moving without thinking, too occupied by the other man's eyes to even notice. He leaned in a bit, leaving roughly half a foot between them.

"Your eyes are beautiful"

Samuel hadn't even realized he had said anything until Matias turned away and put a hand on the back of his neck. Samuel was disappointed at Matias breaking eye contact until he fully came to his senses, leaning back fast.

"Ah- sorry! I didn't mean that" Samuel spat out as quick as he could trying to explain the misunderstanding.

"Ouch. So now you're saying my eyes are ugly?"

Matias sounded like he had regained his confidence, but was still staring off to the wall and rubbing the back of his neck. Samuel felt his face heat up and put his head down in his hands.

"Just give me your damn arm. I just need to bandage it and then I can do your throat."

"Shh, your kid is still behind you. Wouldn't want her hearing you using that kind of language would you?" Matias teased.

Matias laid his head back once again, meeting Samuels eyes for a brief moment on the way.

Samuel glanced behind him checking on his daughter. She was fast asleep, which didn't surprise him at all. Her mouth was wide open and she was drooling onto one of the decorative pillows.

"She's asleep." Samuel said bluntly and turned back around.

"Shocker" Matias mocked Samuel once more.

Samuel frowned at Matias, though Matias wasn't looking at him anyways.

"Just shut up and give me your arm"

**

Samuel finally finished bandaging Matias's arm, which he had to do twice since he messed up the first time. He sat back on the couch and finally relaxed his body. He was relieved that he finished part of it but dreading the bit he still had to do.

"This has been by far the longest night of my live" Samuel complained.

"I guarantee you my night has been longer" Matias replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah.. I actually wanted to ask you about that" Samuel finally brought up the thing that had been building a pit in his stomach the whole night.

"You said you'd explain everything. I want to know how this happened"

Samuel turned his head to look at Matias without lifting his head from its spot on the couch. Of course Matias didn't return the look.

"I told you already didn't I? Some guys attacked me while I was walkin though a nearby alley"

Samuel sat up and stared at Matias with far too many emotions coursing through him.

"That can't be the whole story. Why were you in the alley in the first place?" He picked one of the questions he had and spoke it aloud, praying for an answer.

Matias hesitated for multiple seconds too long.

"Matias" Samuel insisted in a soothing voice.

Matias still didn't answer.

"Do you just not want to talk about it? In that case it's fine but.. but I feel like that's not your main reason"

Matias continued to stare into the distance, not responding. This time Samuel didn't break the silence, he just let it be"

"I was visiting a friend" Matias finally said, technically not lying.

"You were visiting a friend? In an alley?" Samuel interrogated.

"It's.. complicated." Matias tried to brush it off but Samuel wouldn't listen.

"Well I'm listening, explain it to me"

Samuel knew he was being pushy, but by now he was desperate for answers. His heart had sped up and his fingers twitched in anticipation.

"You're not going to be happy about it" Matias warned.

"That's fine, if anything I'm going to be upset if you don't tell me"

Matias looked towards Samuel, still refusing to meet his eyes. Samuel did his best to discretely shift closer to him. Samuel wanted to provide comfort to the, obviously on edge, man in front of him, but wasn't sure how.

"I'm sure you remember what I said about the three people that I was accused of killing a few years back right? How I was running for my life?"

"How could I forget" Samuel let out a weak chuckle that died down fast.

"Well, I was running from Guzantee's men. You know who that is?"

Samuel and Matias both subconsciously looked up at one another. Samuel shook his head. He swore he had heard the name before, and was almost certain that he was a gang leader, but didn't really know who he was.

"He's some fat prick that I owe a bunch of money to. A gang leader, though I'm sure you figured that much"

Samuel nodded his head, racking his brain on why Matias owed a gang leader money. How much money did he owe that guy anyways?

"Every one of his men know my face. I'm basically wanted dead or alive to them. Can't even walk through the wrong alley without risking my life."

Matias had once again looked away from Samuel and was staring down at his own hands.

"How much money do you owe him?" Samuel took the opportunity to sneak his question in.

"Hell if I know, I don't think either of us really kept track. I'd say roughly one-thousand?"

"One thousand!" Samuel yelped in response.

Before Matias could form a reply both of their attentions were drawn to the stirring kid beside Samuel. He mentally face palmed realizing he completely forgot his own daughter was even there.

"Give me two seconds, I'm taking her to bed" Samuel huffed

He felt a rush of warmth followed by a shock of light pain run through his leg as he put pressure on it. Each feeling intensified as he picked up Ellie and limped his way to her room.

When he returned Matias hunched over still sitting on the couch. His good elbow was on his leg and his hand was tangled in his hair, balancing his head. Samuel didn't say a word as he sat down close to him.

"So you owe him money and so now his men are trying to kill you?" Samuel questioned as he put a tired arm onto Matias's back.

Matias cocked his head in Samuels direction. Samuel let out a huff of air as Matias stopped and looked back down before meeting Samuel face to face.

"Yeah, pretty much" Matias sighed

Both of them went quiet and sat in the silence they had grown familiar with.

"It's more than likely that they were the people that attacked you and shot your leg"

Samuel perked up.

"Really? How do you know that? Did you see their faces?" He bombarded the other man with questions.

Matias rubbed a hand over his face and took a deep breath. He straightened his spine and finally sat up. Samuel began to smile before seeing the look on Matias's face.

His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips seemed to present more of a scowl than usual. His eyes had a look of strong emotion in them, though Samuel couldn't quite put his finger on it. Not to mention they had deep bags under them, though Samuel was sure his eyes were the same- if not worse.

"I didn't see their faces, they were wearing masks. We were in Guzantee's area. It must've been his men." His voice lined up with his face perfectly, being slightly raspy and very neutral volume wise.

"His.. area?" Samuel tried his best not to annoy Matias more than he already seemed to be.

"Don't you inspect this shit for the police or somethin? Shouldn't you know what area has what people?"

Samuel cowered away slightly.

"I don't really inspect it. I more of.. make sure everyone's okay" Samuel tried to briefly explain before his mind quickly wandered away from that topic.

"Anyways, that doesn't answer my question. How did all this happen" Samuel gestured dramatically at Matias's whole body.

Matias sighed.

"You must be awful tired if you can't piece that together. Guzantee's men did this to me. Not the same ones from a few years ago or anything, but you get the point" Matias casually looked off at the wall behind Samuels head.

"Would you look at me?!" Samuel finally snapped and grabbed Matias's chin, moving forward so their faces were only a couple inches apart. He forced him to look Samuel in the eyes.

"Your making this out to be so much of a bigger deal than it really is, Matias. Just calm down, look me in the eyes, and tell me what's going on!" Samuel sounded desperate, but he didn't care. He was desperate. He knew he was desperate.

He let go of Matias's face but they both stayed still. Samuel stared meaningfully into Matias's eyes, though he couldn't tell what expression they were displaying.

Samuel finally calmed down before asking another question.

"Why do you owe him money in the first place?" Samuel questioned

"Yeah.. about that" Matias glanced away from Samuel slightly.

"Matias" Samuel practically begged.

"I'll answer that later, you have lots of other questions right?" Matias stalled

Samuel finally leaned back a bit but he never broke his eye contact with Matias. He hated the position he was in right now. He didn't want to push and pry at something Matias was clearly uncomfortable about. However, he was being eaten alive by his own curiosity.

"Okay." Samuel finally replied in a dry tone.

"But you have to promise you'll tell me soon, okay?" His voice became more friendly maybe even a bit loving.

Samuel held up a hand in front of Matias. His pinky was raised and he looked at Matias with determination. Matias said nothing as he stared dumbfounded at Samuels hand. He finally broke the silence after multiple seconds.

"A pinky promise? Are you serious?" He chuckled a little.

"Yes! Breaking a pinky promise is like punching your younger self in the face!"

Matias chuckled even more.

"Maybe that'd be a good thing" Matias mumbled only half-joking.

He eventually lifted his hand and interlocked pinkies with Samuel. They sat there in silence, both staring at their hands.

Samuel looked up at Matias, pressuring Matias to look back at him. Samuel grinned as their eyes met once again. He wasn't sure why, but whenever he held this gaze with Matias his heart sped up and his nerves seemed to calm. It was relaxing.

His thoughts were interrupted when Matias glanced behind him and his eyes widened.

"Holy shit!" Matias shouted.

Samuel whipped around trying to figure out what the other man was worked up about.

"The sun is rising already!" Matias pointed out right as Samuels eyes landed on the window, which now had a bit of light pouring through it.

Samuel racked his brain on how it was already so late- or rather early. He knew they had been up for a while but didn't think it had been that long. His attention was pulled away from the window when Matias finally pulled his hand away and stood up carefully from the couch.

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Hope y'all r all enjoying the story so far!

What was you favorite part of this chapter? Or even favorite part of the whole story so far??