It's like a circle that never ends! (Flynn, Dennis)

[myeyesarehollow.livejournal.com]

If there was ever a day when Flynn needed to be reminded of how lucky he was, it was certainly today. It was his 23rd birthday and he had awoken to Quinn who was crying and Flynn still didn't know why. Sometimes Quinn just did that. Abby said it was a natural reaction to pain or discomfort, so Flynn did his best to make Quinn feel better until the nurse arrived, but Quinn was still crying. The only thing Flynn could think was that maybe Quinn was experiencing discomfort caused by his haemachromatosis. Since discovering him like this, little had been done to aid his pre-existing condition. Most of the focus was on his injuries. It was possible that enough iron had built up in his system since then to cause him pain. Flynn told the nurse this and then they spent a terrible two hours attemping to hold a screaming Quinn down while they bled him. As it turned out, Quinn could move his arms incredibly well when instinct took over and his movements were reactionary. And Quinn didn't appear to like needles being stuck in his arms for the purposes of taking his blood.

After a morning like that, Flynn was feeling particularly horrid and he wanted alone time. He snuck out of the house, leaving Quinn in the care of his nurse. He didn't know exactly why...maybe just to remember what he didn't have to put up with anymore, but for whatever reason Flynn was drawn to Al's bar. Al had given him a place to live and a measly meal a day in exchange for work. And while it had all ended terribly, it hadn't seemed so bad at the time...he hadn't been on the streets and that was a very big thing. Now, thinking back on the cold, empty room, Flynn felt emptier still. And as he entered the bar, he felt a strange sense of pride at having moved on from there.

Flynn caught sight of Al, who hesitated before walking over to Flynn with a curious look on his face. "Your rock star friend get tired of you?" Al asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No." Flynn didn't allow Al's flippant attitude to hurt him. After this morning, little was going to perturb him. "I wanted to stop in. Say hi. It's my birthday."

"Ah." Al looked confused and he wondered in Flynn actually expected him to remember that. "Well...happy birthday. You erm...want a drink?"

"Club soda." Flynn said with a nod.

"Nothin' more potent!?" Al asked, confused.

"I'm not much of a drinker. You should remember that at least."

"I just thought it was so I didn't fire ya." Al waddled towards the bar. "What kind of Irish person are ya, not drinkin'?"

"The sober kind." Flynn answered back, non-plussed. "So...how have things been?"

"This really a social visit?" Al asked, wonderingly. Flynn had left because, in his jealousy, Al had treated him terribly and then killed the cat Rusty. Though Rusty had bitten him... He didn't think Flynn was really here to chat.

As it so happened though, Flynn was. "I guess." He said with a shrug. "I mean...you weren't always..." Flynn cleared his throat, trying to find a charitable way to put what he wanted to say. "My situation here wasn't ideal. And what I have going on now...with one vital exception...it is. Ideal, I mean. But yourself didn't have to take me in here. You didn't have to let me stay in your attic and work. But you did. So...thanks, I guess." Flynn had Al to thank for teaching him how not to treat people too, but that one he kept to himself.

"Ah. Well. You're welcome." Al set Flynn's drink down on the counter in front of him. "On the house. For your birthday."

Flynn chuckled, as soda water was hardly an expensive drink, but whatever. That wasn't the point. "Thanks for that too."

"So..." Al looked uncomfortable, as he wasn't used to making conversation with someone he had wronged. Especially not one that now toured in a well known band. "Things uhm...going well?"

Flynn didn't feel like explaining about Quinn, so he nodded. "Yep. The band is taking some down time so Spectre can focus on some side projects and one of the members can have their baby. So I'm sort of...relaxing." If relaxing meant saving ex-girlfriends and taking care of his nearly braindead lover.

"Flynn...I...there are things I should apologise for-"

Flynn cut Al off. That wasn't what he had come for. "I don't need to hear it. That's not important. I have everything I need, really. If you apologise because you need it, then feel free. But it makes no difference to me."

"Maybe I do need it. I'm sorry, Kid."

Flynn nodded then. "Alright."

After a few moments of silence, a young man who looked to be around 17 or 18, walked up to Al. "I finished in the back, Al. Anything else you want me to do?"

Flynn's grey eyes travelled over to regard the young man. He recognised something in him that he saw in himself... A desperation to please. A need to satisfy someone simply because your very existence relied on that person remaining happy with you. And before Al said a word, Flynn knew that this young man was here very much in the same capacity he had been. Imagining the boy staying in the cold room above the bar actually made Flynn's heart ache and Flynn realised that must have been very much like what Spectre felt when Spectre had come to see him play nearly a year ago now...

Al shook his head and he clapped the boy on the shoulder. "I think that's all that needs done, Boy. You can relax until after dinner."

The boy smiled and then he glanced sideways. When he recognised Flynn there, his eyes grew wide. "You...you're..."

Flynn blinked. "Flynn." He said, because he didn't actually realise that this boy was recognising him as a musician. He thought that maybe Al had a picture of him and the boy was recognising him as having worked here or something like that. Fame was something Flynn was not, and would never be used to.

"Spectre's bassist!" The boy said, cheerfully.

"Oh right. Yeah, that's me." Flynn smiled and he held out his hand for the boy to shake.

"I'm Dennis! Al told me you used to work here, but I thought he was tellin' porkies! I can't believe this!"

Flynn laughed and then Al thought it was necessary to do some quick explaining, lest Flynn get the wrong idea. "Dennis has been working here for a few months now...earning his keep like you did." And then he specified what his 'keep' was. "Three square meals a day and the room above the bar. We've fixed it up a bit..." Al cleared his throat. He knew Flynn would be worrying about the boy going hungry and living in a hole, much like he himself had done...

Flynn gave Al an approving look, which turned to an ever-increasing smile when Dennis continued to elaborate. "Al rescued me. I was busking one day and he came over. He offered to get me lunch instead of a hand out, which sounded like a deal to me! I told him my story. Run away. No place to go. And he offered me a job as long as I kept my nose clean and stayed out of trouble!"

"He's a good kid." Al said quietly. Inwardly, he was pleased at the transformation his kindness had had on Dennis. He had come to Al a distrusting and confused youth, and now he was friendly and helpful. Al wished, more than he would ever admit, that he had known his influence could change someone like that. He would have been much kinder to Flynn...

"You're a musician?" Flynn asked, interested.

"Well not...I mean..." Dennis turned bright red. "Not really. Not like you. I sing and I play keyboards. But I didn't even have a keyboard when I was busking, so I was just singing. I wasn't goin' too well..."

Flynn, who had spent six years on the street, knew better than to ask the circumstances of why this boy had been homeless. His face was incredibly sympathetic, however. "You want a drink? If it's okay with Al. I'd...I'd like to talk with you..."

Al nodded, and he left them both alone, knowing that anything Flynn said would only be helpful to Dennis. Helping Dennis was a way to make up for what he had done to Flynn. In fact, the only reason Al had approached Dennis that day was because he knew that Flynn had once earned his way by busking on street corners, and Dennis had not looked ike he was having great luck at it. Contrary to what Al seemed like, he really had felt horrible about the way he had treated Flynn and when Flynn had refused to take his treatment anymore, that was when Al realised how terrible he actually had been. Al made sure that Dennis really was taken care of. And, consequently, Dennis was wonderful company who did the same for Al.

"You really want to talk to me!?" Dennis asked, looking thrilled.

Flynn laughed, remembering his surprise that Spectre had come to listen to him play. "Absolutely." He waited as Dennis climbed onto the chair beside him and then he turned to face his new friend. "I used to work here just like you. For room and board and everything. Erm...is it okay? I mean...the work's not too hard, is it?" Flynn wanted to phrase what he said carefully so that Dennis didn't think ill of Al and end up leaving if he was indeed being treated well. Here was better than the streets... "The food is good? And...erm...enough?"

"Yeah!" Dennis said, not catching on for a second that Flynn was inquiring as to whether he was going hungry because he himself had. He just figured Flynn was a nice person. "And the work's okay. It's better than...well." Dennis took a deep breath and he forced a smile onto his face. "It's fine. The room's small but that's all I need really. It's cool."

"Are you in school?" Flynn asked, because he himself hadn't been and he wished very much that he had been.

Dennis shrugged. "I stopped going last year when I left." Dennis didn't say where he'd left from, and that was fine with Flynn. "I'm seventeen, so I don't have to."

"Did you like school? I never did, really, but I wish I'd finished it. You should if you can at all. I'm sure Al would let you start back next year. You can make up what you missed and then work at night. I understand the need to work, but I'm sure Al would tell you school's important too." Flynn glanced at Al's back. "I could have a word with him."

Dennis looked down at his hands. "Maybe. Hey, what's Spectre like?!"

Flynn laughed and he allowed the subject to change because it seemed important to Dennis that it did. "He's my best friend." Flynn said with feeling. "He's wonderful."

"And Deirdre?! She's so hot! I wish I could sing like her. But you know...not a girl..."

Flynn laughed again, enjoying the boy's company. Dennis reminded him of Julian a little. Julian and, dare he say it, Quinn. His enthusiasm was infectious and he seemed to be a sweet kid who had just happened on unfortunate circumstances. And that was something Flynn could very much relate to. It was then that Flynn resolved to visit Dennis often. And to bring Spectre by too. He knew how much of a difference the kindness Spectre had shown him had made. And now that he was in a place to return the favour, dammit, he was going to.