Chapter Text
Right now Seth’s living his life in his headphones. Or he’s avoiding it them. He’s trying to drown out the silence of the apartment and the noise of the streets. He and his mom had lost everything. Life used to be boring as can be until his mother’s accident. She couldn’t work and no place would hire him, bills skyrocketed with no means to pay for them. The city shut off the lights, then the water, until finally an eviction notice was plastered on their front door. They sold everything that had any worth and found some grimey hole in the wall to live in.
For a while Seth had continued trying and failing to find a job. No experience. Too young to work in a bar. He’s basically useless for any normal job. His mom mentions college and he just wants to laugh, but he nods and lets her pretend there’s some tiny miracle of a chance.
“You’re smart. I’m sure there’s scholarships.”
“You’re gonna be late, ma.” Seth says and she gives a tiny swear, getting up from the table in a rush.
“Go to bed, alright? Just cause I work graveyard shifts doesn’t mean that’s your schedule too.”
She plants a kiss in his hair on the way out and he manages a smile. He wishes she was right, wishes he could tell her what he does at night but he can already picture the look on her face. The pang of guilt hits right on cue, shoving it aside he gets ready for the night. He doesn’t really make a big show of it, black skinny jeans, tight black tank, and a grey hoodie. All they want to see is his face and ass, the clothes don’t matter.
Seth puts on his headphones as he leaves, it’s become a bit of a safety blanket. Music drowning out the noise of the streets, the whistle of casual passersby. He reads body language, expressions, he knows when someone wants him. He’ll give a little smirk and lead them to the hotel he frequents. The check in attendant always gives him a sympathetic look that he can’t stand but Seth lets his thoughts roll onto the song then the task at hand. The heavy beats are there when he’s being pounded into the mattress and he’s moaning at the top of his lungs. He hates when it feels so good. It’s supposed to be a job. When it’s all over he tugs his pants back on and leaves just as he came. Worse for wear but with a little more in his pocket. It’s all he can do.
He exits the room walking down the hall passing by the housekeeping cart. The man pushing the cart looks more like he’s going to break into the rooms rather than clean them. Messy blonde hair and a uniform that badly needs to be pressed. Honestly, he looks like he’s been fucked harder than Seth and it takes all his willpower not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. The guy looks up at him, his lips moving but the music’s too loud. Seth keeps walking when a broom blocks his path.
He looks back over at the man, putting on an annoyed expression and pulling back the right side of his headphones. “What?”
"How old are you?”
He stares in confusion. “...None of your business.”
The broom stays in place. “Look, I don’t give a shit what you do but I need this job and you look too young to be doin’ what you’re doin’. So, your age?”
“Old enough.” He rolls his eyes.
“That’s not a real answer.”
He pushes away the broom and continues down the hall. “Don’t worry about your job.”
When he gets home he pulls off the headphones and cooks something up for his mother’s return. It makes her smile and Seth feels the whole night before drift away. Eventually he’ll have to come up with some story about getting a late night job but he’s alway been pretty awful at lying to his mom. Right now it’s not too bad, she thinks he’s asleep during her shifts and that’s fine with him. She’s so tired by the end of the morning that she doesn’t even notice that Seth’s ready to pass out too.
It all easily becomes routine. Hitting the streets with his latest playlist pouring into his ears, watching and waiting. The familiar look of the guy at the front desk that Seth casually tries to ignores when he gets a room. The guy, Roman by the name tag, always holds onto the key a little too long. Cool grey eyes looking right at him as if asking Seth if he was sure he wanted to be doing this. He wants to tell Roman to quit it but the guy never calls the cops so Seth bears with it, avoiding the other’s gaze as much as possible.
He thought that the clients would be more adventurous with their positions but most want to bend him over or just face plant him into the sheets. He’s fine with it, makes everything predictable. At the end of the night he passes the housekeeping guy who gives him the stink eye, Seth gives him his best polite ‘fuck you’ smile while tossing a tip into the cart.
The next night is a mess. The weather is awful and he knows he should’ve stayed home but there he is standing in the rain like an idiot. He doesn’t think and goes with the first halfway decent guy who gives him a look over. The guy isn’t someone he usually takes to the hotel, he looks more of a blow in bathroom type, but the rain’s starting to pick up. The guy is eager, shoving him onto the bed and roughly running his hands over Seth’s body. Some guys are just handsy though so he turns up the volume as the next song comes on. Fast, erratic, and loud. It’s perfect.
Until the guy shoves something into his mouth. He isn’t sure what it is at first it’s sour, melting away on his tongue. He starts to shove the guy off when things begin to blur. The rest of the night is vague and out of body. Everything fading in and out. Panic floods his mind and then… nothing.
“Hey.” A voice calls out to him. Something nudges at him. “Hey, kid wake up.”
Seth groans, slowly piecing everything back together again. He’s on the floor, skin feeling rug burned. Everything aches.
“If you die here I’m throwing you in the dumpster. Just so you know.” And now Seth can place the voice. It’s the housekeeping jerk. Probably smugly looking at his sad state.
Seth can’t help a pained laugh, his eyes cracking open just enough to glance at the other. “Probably for the best.”
His voice sounds rough and broken. He wants to move, put on some clothes but his limbs feel too heavy. Before he can register it he’s being gently lifted and placed on the bed. The blanket is pulled up over him and footsteps circle the room, stopping every now and then.
A soft thud lands on the bed. “Here’s your clothes. I’ll tell ‘em you’re staying a bit longer today.”
Seth’s eyes blink open, panic resetting in. “What time is it?”
“Almost ten. Hey, you need-”
Seth does his best attempt to push himself from the bed and get dressed. He gets as far as pulling on his tank on when he feels like he’s gonna puke. Housekeeper jerk makes him lay back down and tells him to stay put.
“I’ll find you something from the kitchen. Just stay there, I don’t wanna clean your goddamn puke.”
With that he’s left alone in bed, the dull buzz of the room giving him no comfort. Slowly he reaches over for his cell and headphones. Luckily there’s still some battery left so he send a quick text to his mom.
‘Sorry I wasn’t home. Going on a job hunt.’
‘Good luck, hun! I’m sure you’ll do great!’
He gives the screen a miserable look and plugs in the headphones. He finds something soft and soothing to calm the ache in his body. The heaviness lifts and Seth drifts away into the void of sleep. He’s grateful for the dreamless sleep but less so when his headphones are being tugged off his head.
“You’re gonna go deaf with those.” Housekeeper jerk says. “Found some orange juice and leftover breakfast shit.”
“Why’d you bring me food?” Seth croaks out, carefully bringing himself to a sitting position.
“Told ya I need this job. We don’t need some dead wh- … guy to explain to the cops about.”
“You could say whore. Won’t hurt my feelings.” He lies taking a sip of orange juice.
The other man shrugs. “Didn’t peg you as a junkie.”
“I’m not.” Seth quickly defends. “He just shoved- whatever it was, in my mouth.”
It falls quiet for a beat and housekeeper jerk just gives a nod. “I got rooms to clean. Take your time… cause I’m not joking ‘bout the puke. I’ll make you clean it yourself.”
Seth exhales a laugh. “Thanks for…” he gestures at the food. “I- name’s Seth.”
“Dean.”