[Waste]

Alex tipped his head back and felt the suns heat on his face. He was used to it so it really didn’t burn anymore, it used to when he’d first started living in the down worlds, but after five years you got used to it. He climbed up onto the small outcrop of rock that blocked half the entrance of the cave and then down the other side, landing on light feet in the darkened cave.

Tux looked up from his spot near the back “Get any?” he asked as a light thud announced Honey’s arrival behind Alex. She stepped forward and dumped her pack, her windswept blonde hair fell across her face and she swiped it away, annoyed.

“Hardly.” she sat down beside Tux and crossed her arms over her chest, she eyed the bag. “The security has gone up, it’s mostly the results of bin diving.”

Tux pulled a face, “We really can’t go on like this.”

Alex leant against the rocks that partially blocked the entrance “We have to.” he sighed, his dark eyes flicking closed. Dark circles ringed them and his lips were chapped and split in places from the harsh winds. He looked so much older than he was, then again they all did. At 21 years old his movements and general appearance made him look just under 30.

Tux pulled the bag towards him and opened it, he fished out a takeaway box and flicked it open, half a burger. He picked it up and bit into it then grimaced “That’s going to turn into my third case of food poisoning this month.”

“If you don’t like it you can go back out.” Alex snapped.

Tux looked at the entrance where the sun was edging out of view, which meant it would be at 12 o’clock “I choose life.” he said quietly.

“I thought you might.” Honey quipped, pulling a half finished bottle of water out of the bag and downing it. She sighed and leant against Tux her head resting on his shoulder, ears flattened. Alex was still staring at the opening, waiting.

“When did the others leave?” He asked.

“Not long after you.” Tux shrugged. Taking another mouthful of burger and dipping his hand back into the bag, to rifle around a bit. Alex’s eyes flicked to the bag then back to the opening, Tux remembered when his eyes used to be bright pink, now they looked more like cloudy red wine, hardly any light in them. Not since…Tux was even scared to think it, the topic just wasn’t something that Alex talked about.

“If they don’t get back soon the sun will be at it’s peak.” Honey commented.

Alex nodded. Even those who had lived in the down worlds for longer than Alex and Tux didn’t go out at peak time, when the sun was directly above and bore down on any creature dumb enough to go out at such a time.

He heard a small scuffle of feet climbing the rocks and gave a sigh of relief, he moved away from the entrance as a small boy with white hair dropped down, he was a few years younger than Alex and it showed. Ollie grinned as he threw his pack down, Alex heard it clunk and his lips pulled up at the corners a little “Tins?”

“Do you expect anything less?” An arrogant female voice came from above as Sam jumped down and dropped her own pack, which just fell as a heap of material on the floor. “Not enough to fill both bags sadly”

“Tins are good enough.” Tux said through a mouthful of burger.

Sam eyed the burger in Tux’s hand “Bin diving, I see.” she shook her head, “I hope the others got something a little better.”

“A tin opener maybe?” Tyler slid down the worn rocks to land a few feet from Alex, he dropped his pack and grinned, his blue cat ears twitching.

“You actually got a tin opener?” Tux asked sceptically.

“Yup.” Tyler crouched and dipped his hand into his pack, he pulled out three packets of crisps, a packet of biscuits and about 10 bars of chocolate, trust Tyler to go for the junk food. Alex frowned, his eyes going to Honey, how had they only managed to bin dive when everyone else had obviously gotten into at least one house? Tyler pulled out a tin opener and threw it to Sam who caught it easily, she turned it over in her hands as she examined it.

“Nice one.” her eyes flicked around, “Where’s Jade?”

“Here.”

They all looked to the corner where the pile of rocks met the cave wall. There the neko stood, his dark hair falling straight around his face, his misty eyes flicked up to them. No one had seen him come in, or noticed him pick a half finished sandwich out of Honey’s bag. He was turning it over with his long fingers now, sharp eyes examining it.

“Welcome back.” Tux said, having finished his burger.

So that was everyone, just as the sun reached its peak the seven friends sat around the remains of their fire, Alex was furthest from the group, as always he preferred not to join in with the conversation, his cat ears flattened against his birds nest like hair, his knees drawn up and his arms around them.

Tux had his arm around Honey as she rested against him, his green hair contrasting with her blonde, his green eyes flicked to Alex and he seemed to start to say something and then think better of it, Ollie and Tux often did that. Ollie was leaning against one of the side walls of the cave, his back curving with it. His stone grey eyes surveying the familiar cave, “Do we need to go out again?”

Jade, who was now sitting a little closer to the others and guarding the bags of food, said “Probably not tonight, maybe tomorrow, depends on how much Tux eats.” Tux looked up, his cheeks a little red.

“Seems that all we do is go out for food these days.” Sam sighed, she ran a hand through her short, spiked hair and yawned.

“What else is there to do?” Tux asked, “Some of the most wanted, we are.”

“Jade and Alex are anyway.”

Ollie and Tux both looked to Alex as Sam spoke, but he pretended he hadn’t heard, his dark eyes stayed staring straight ahead. The two boys then exchanged a small knowing look before returning to the conversation, “Ye well we are fugitives too.” Ollie snapped almost proudly.

“You sound like a child.” Alex commented.

“I am a child.”

“There’s no room for children in this world”

He felt the others eyes on him and sighed, getting to his feet he went to the opening and leant against the pile of rocks, staring up at the blue sky. He felt someone behind him but didn’t turn as his eyes tracked a bird fly across it, its wings beating slowly, it must feel so heavy, flying in such painfully hot conditions. Alex felt a bead of sweat run over his cheek and drip from his chin. Jade leant beside him.

“You haven’t been yourself lately.” He commented quietly. Alex’s eyes flicked to him.

“I haven’t been me for five years” If Jade’s hearing wasn’t so good he wouldn’t have heard Alex’s words.

“Everyone changes once they start this life.”

Alex nodded slowly.

“How about we go out tonight? we can talk.” Jade suggested,

Alex looked up at him, studying his soft features “Maybe,” he said, if it was anyone else he would have said no, but this was Jade, and he hardly ever offered help to anyone.

“Is that a yes?” he asked,

Alex heard Ollie snoring lightly “I’ll sleep on it.” he said.

“That’s a lie, you never sleep.”

Alex let out a long breath, “You noticed,”

“I’ve been around you for four years, I can notice a lot in that time.”

Alex glanced over his shoulder, seeing that everyone else had fallen asleep. Honey was curled up with Tux, Ollie was sleeping sitting up with his head leaning against the wall, Tyler was sprawled across the floor at the back of the cave and Sam was curled up at his feet. Alex looked back to Jade, who smiled.

“Cute aren’t they?” he asked quietly.

Alex didn’t answer, Jade pushed off from the rock pile and sat down, he shuffled around so he was leaning against the wall, his elbows on his knees he looked up at Alex and his ears pricked up.

“No?” a line of sweat edged down his forehead and he sighed, “Well I’m going to sleep, even if you aren’t.”

Alex smiled a little “You know I wont.”