A:N/ I don't own Maccas, I just let my characters eat it! Enjoy the chapter, sorry its so short...

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Chunji wasn't sure how grateful he was that L. Joe seemed to have found out that he owned a car. He now saw the younger boy a bit more often, but that was only because the other boy wanted a lift home. He felt like he was being used. But at the same time, he got to speak to L. Joe more often as a result, so he couldn't say that he was completely unhappy with this arrangement.

But that other boy seemed to run so hot and cold in conversations with Chunji. He couldn't help but wonder if he was like that with everyone or if there was just something about him that made the younger boy act that way.

It only took Chunji a few weeks to realise that although L. Joe came to him in order to get a lift home, he still wasn't seeing him anywhere near as often as he might've expected. He'd known plenty of people who had seen him as their own personal taxi service when they found out he could drive. They would stop by everyday, hoping to pick up a lift home; never contributing anything for petrol, and expecting him to drive them out to run errands as well!

He only ever saw L. Joe once a week.

Well, until that day at least.

It was a typical Friday afternoon/evening as far as Chunji was concerned. If his parents had asked him what he was doing, he would have said that he was doing work for university. Which really meant that he was playing around on the Internet and watching TV. It was a lonely teenage university student life that he led, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

That's when he received a phone call from L. Joe.

“You busy?” were L. Joe's first words. Straight to the point like usual. Chunji had found himself wondering if that was because L. Joe lacked any sense of manners or just another part of his behaviour that showed he was unique.

“Not particularly. What did you need?” Chunji enquired, knowing instinctively that L. Joe would only be calling him because he needed his help with something. L. Joe never called for any other reason. L. Joe may not have hated him, but he certainly didn't seem to like him.

“I'm at the hairdressers near the Maccas. Can you come get me?” L. Joe asked, with a tired sigh. Chunji was startled by the question, not used to L. Joe asking him to do something; usually L. Joe just issued commands, expecting Chunji to obey. It confused him enough that he had trouble trying to work out where he needed to go.

“Um, I see. I'm not quite sure I know where the hairdressers you're talking about is.” Chunji offered sympathetically.

L. Joe sighed again, “I could walk over to Maccas, and you could get me from there?” he offered helpfully.

Chunji nodded, despite knowing that L. Joe wouldn't be able to see the action. “Sure, I'll be there soon.” he stated, hearing the dial tone, but not before he heard a soft murmur of “Thanks.” He was so excited that he could have squealed.

He jumped off his bed, rushing around trying to gather his wits enough to figure out what he needed to grab before he left the apartment. He felt bad for making L. Joe wait that little bit longer, for every second that he remained in the apartment. But he wouldn't tell L. Joe that he'd dropped everything he was doing to go and collect him.

L. Joe didn't need to know that.

He drove round to the Maccas, trying to be as quick as possible, without actually going over the speed limit. Within minutes he was approaching the Maccas. He was looking around for a boy with pink hair, but he couldn't see one. There was only one boy waiting out the front of the Maccas, and he had blonde hair.

Chunji wondered whether or not he might've been able to beat L. Joe to Maccas, having quite forgotten about the fact that L. Joe had said that he'd been at the hairdressers. He parked figuring that he'd wait there until he saw the other boy, but then the blonde boy strolled up to his car. He gave the boy an odd look, not really sure what he wanted, until he realised that it was L. Joe. It had taken until the other boy had gotten close enough that Chunji could see his face, before he was able to recognise the other boy. He quickly unlocked the passenger side door, to let him into the car, unable to suppress his shocked and slightly curious observation of the other kid.

L. Joe slunk into the passenger seat, drawing his legs up, so that he appeared to curl up in his seat. He stared back at Chunji, through his now blonde fringe, saying nothing at first. He looked a little worn out, Chunji noted and he smiled at him sympathetically. “Where to?” he questioned, kindly.

“Home.” L. Joe answered, rubbing at his eyes, as though it could banish the tiredness Chunji could hear in his voice.

“I didn't realise that you were going to dye your hair.” Chunji commented mildly, wondering if L. Joe would be talkative today. He'd never seen him on a Friday before, and L. Joe was unusual enough that it wouldn't surprise him to find out that he spoke different amounts depending on the day of the week.

L. Joe shuffled in his seat slightly, which, Chunji suspected was supposed to be a shrug. “It was going to be a surprise.” The comment took Chunji by surprise. Why would he want to surprise him? But maybe he was just looking for a reaction out of the other boy?

“Well, it certainly surprised me.” Chunji exclaimed with a slight laugh, as he started the engine. There was a momentary pause, before L. Joe answered him. “Yeah, but it's still too new right now. I wanted you to see it when it looked a bit more natural.”

“I'm not sure that bleach blonde hair is ever going to look natural on you.” Chunji commented mildly.

“Natural as in I don't have hair dye discolouring my skin.” L. Joe bit back. Chunji laughed, “I don't see any hair dye on your skin.” But L. Joe flipped his fringe up, pointing, despite knowing that Chunji wouldn't be able to look, because he was driving. “I do. Right here.” before trying to fix his hair again.

They lapsed into silence again, before Chunji could think of something else to say. “So I take it that you weren't planning on asking me to pick you up. What happened?” he queried, wondering if L. Joe would get annoyed at his enquiry into his personal affairs. L. Joe didn't tend to answer him when he asked him things that L. Joe classed as 'his business'.

L. Joe sighed again, telling Chunji that he wasn't very happy right now. He never usually sighed this much, so Chunji could only gather that things were not going the way L. Joe wanted them to right now. “I was planning on getting a lift home with my mother, when she was leaving work, but she has to stay late tonight.”

“You couldn't call any of your friends?” Chunji prodded, gently, as he made a turn, unable to catch the blank look L. Joe sent him at his question. “What could they do? I only have one friend old enough to get his licence, and he hasn't been bothered to do the test yet. You're the only person I've got here, that could help.”

“Did I drag you away from your friends?” L. Joe enquired, curious. His tone was blank, but if Chunji had turned his head, he might've caught sight of a tiny amount of guilt lurking in L. Joe's eyes.

“No.” Chunji murmured, tone low, feeling embarrassed at the reminder of his lack of friends. He knew he was strange as far as anyone else would be concerned. But university was a very isolating environment; it didn't seem to encourage friendships.

“I would've thought that you would spend Friday afternoons with your friends.” L. Joe commented mildly, as he glanced out his window. Chunji shrugged, finding the words slipping from his lips before he could stop them. “I don't have any.”

L. Joe turned to observe the other boy sharply, and Chunji's fingers tensed their grip on the steering wheel, at the feeling of L. Joe's eyes piercing through him. “Explain.” he stated, gruffly, and Chunji could feel his face heat up at the intensity of the attention L. Joe was paying to him.

“I... What do you want from me?” Chunji questioned, ashamed. He couldn't look down, and he couldn't run away, so he threw all of his attention into what he was doing, not daring to so much as a glance in L. Joe's direction as he spoke. Too many people had accidents because they weren't paying attention to the road, he told himself, trying to rationalise his behaviour.

“I want to know how a pretty boy like you winds up with no friends at 20. You don't look like an .” L. Joe commented lightly, eyes still boring straight through him.

“I dunno. I had a small group of friends in high school. None of them went to my university, and none of the people I've since met there, are interested in making friends.” Chunji answered, with a half-hearted shrug.

L. Joe continued to stare at him long and hard for a few moments, not saying anything. Chunji was so relieved when his gaze drifted back out his window. They fell into a silence, that left Chunji feeling awkward. It felt like something important had just occurred between them, but he wasn't sure what it could have been. Was this that turning point where you either become friends or drift away, back into nothing? L. Joe had already been acting pretty friendly with Chunji before this; did that meant that they were going to stop being friendly now?

“It feels weird being in your car today.” L. Joe commented calmly. He still sounded tired, Chunji could only guess that he was planning on going to sleep the moment that he got home. That was probably a good idea. It was a good thing that they were nearly back to L. Joe's house.

“I think you can blame it on my little confession a moment ago.” Chunji answered.

L. Joe scoffed at the comment, rolling his eyes towards Chunji. “No. It's got nothing to do with that.”

“Then what does it have to do with?” Chunji pressed, as they turned right at the traffic lights. It'd only be a minute until they arrived at L. Joe's house. The sun was setting, and it was getting darker every second. The street lights had already been on for a little while. Chunji guessed that within the hour, the sun would have set completely, and it would be dark outside. He felt a little guilty leaving L. Joe at home, knowing he would be all alone at night. Besides, there were storm clouds off in the distance. He could see the lightening as it was approaching. Should he really be leaving a teenager alone in a house when a storm was coming?

“The fact that today's Friday. Going home in your car is a Tuesday thing.” L. Joe explained. “You were the one that decided to go home in my car on a Tuesday in the first place.” Chunji scoffed. L. Joe frowned out of his window for a moment before he responded, tone softer and more thoughtful than Chunji had heard in days. “That's because your car suits Tuesday, perfectly. I used to have my violin lessons on Tuesday afternoons. I associate your car with the violin.”

“Is that a good thing?” Chunji questioned lightly, perplexed by the other boy's reasoning. “I suppose that depends.” L. Joe said, considering the prospect.

Chunji pulled up into L. Joe's drive way, and froze. He didn't really want L. Joe to hop out of the car. L. Joe was the only person he ever saw regularly; he was the only friend Chunji had. He found he was reluctant to allow their conversation to fall so easily. He didn't really want to let go of L. Joe now that he had reached out to him. He didn't want to go back to being alone in his apartment after this.

L. Joe observed the door for a moment, digging through his pockets, to withdraw his house keys. But he didn't make any move to hop out of the car right away. “Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself? It looks like there's a storm coming.” Chunji commented softly, not really sure what he wanted L. Joe to say in response.

L. Joe shrugged lightly. “I don't mind being by myself, and if there's a storm coming, then I really should stay here. Thanks for coming to get me, Chunji. I'll see you round.” Before getting out of the car.

Chunji prepared to reverse out of the driveway, and start his short trek home, like normal, but he stilled his movements when something unexpected happened. Normally L. Joe would walk up to the door, and let himself in; never looking back. Today, he stopped at his door, and waved to Chunji, before he went inside.

Chunji really wasn't sure what had happened, but it definitely seemed like things had taken a turn for the better

Why did that thought make him feel so happy?