kodadawsonâ:
      âFire department. Yours truly is now a fully functioning member of society, at least until they see through my bullshit and send me packing,â he added with a desperate laugh, trying to not think about everything else that he was about to face with actually being back in town. Mateo had made it clear that it would be good for him, to be able to have a fresh enough start here rather than to completely start new someplace that he would be alone in, again. What had he called it? A support system. Friends and family that wouldnât outright judge him for his inability to come home after his brotherâs death.Â
Though he knew that it was going to take more than time, considering that there was plenty of reason for people to be angry with him as much as he was at himself over the way things had gone down. Or how he had made a point to stay out of it all. Not that it had helped any, seeing the damage that he caused every single time that he couldnât hold his temper back or even handle the looks of sympathy that were somehow worse than the angry ones. âYou donât â I can afford a meal.â Though he appreciated the otherâs offer, it wasnât something that he showed up here for as he glanced back at the other with a shake of his head. âSorry, habit. Itâs been a lot of shit thrown at me from the moment I got back and not all of it good which was to be expected. But yeah, your own restaurant? Who the hell did you pay off to give you a whole restaurant?â
â âď¸ â
âGood for you.â He meant it, truly; Koda deserved a good job, a place where he could live and be happy - heâd already been through so much. But Derrick could only assume he didnât want to hear that, so he left it at that. It was possible Koda might mess it up, but who didnât fuck up now and again? Maybe being back in Astoria would make all the difference. Maybe heâd remember what it was like to be around family and friends...and people who cared about him.Â
But of course, there was always that stubbornness, that anger that had bubbled beneath the surface since they were kids. It had torn holes in their relationship time and again, but Derrick had still considered Koda a friend; even if they hadnât kept in touch much over the years.Â
âDidnât mean anything by it.â Just a nice gesture, that was all. But sure, maybe Koda didnât need that. Of course he could afford a meal. âSure, yeah. I get it.â His hands combed through his hair, not really looking for an argument right now.Â
He snorted at the teasing, shaking his head a bit. âYeah, you know, luck of the draw, I guess.â Or hard work and endless hours of effort.











