Hunter and Daryl split a cab back to Boystown from Union Station. They'd slept most of the bus ride home and now the cab was filled with an awkward silence.

"Thank you," Daryl said quietly, as the cab got onto Lake Shore Drive.

"For what?" Hunter asked.

"For letting me know. For bringing me."

"How could I not?"

"Very easily. I haven't exactly been... kind to you."

"You had a right. That outweighs whatever shit we've got going on between us."

"It's just... I don't know if I would've done the same if I was in your place."

Hunter looked out at the lake for a moment. "Well, that's on you. I did what I had to do."

"I thought I was done with it all, you know? All of them, every single last one of those small-minded hicks in that dead end town. I was ready to go back home and have it out once and for all. Curse out Dad for beating us... disowning us. But then... just... seeing him there. Dying. And him apologizing. I just... " Daryl started to cry again. Hunter hesitated, then put his arm around my brother.

"We're all we've got left," Hunter said.

"Don't you think I FUCKING know that? We've all we've ever had left. Why do you think I went crazy when you left?! Who else knows what we've been through but each other? You're the only one who knows the real me. I need you, Hunter. I miss you."

Hunter kissed the top of his brother's head. "I miss you too."

"So, does that mean that you're coming back?"

Hunter took a breath. "I've got my own life now, Daryl. It's not perfect but it's a hell of a lot better then what it was. That's not on you, though. It's me."

Pulling up onto Halsted and Roscoe, Hunter pulled out some cash for his share.

"I'm sorry," said Daryl. "For everything."

"I know. There's a lot of shit I gotta work through about it."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Give me time. Life's too short to... yeah, dude, just give me time."

*

All Hunter wanted to do was drop his bag in his room and take a long hot shower but there was a bit of a ruckus going on in the kitchen when he came in.

"He's one of my students!" he heard Charlie say.

"He told me he was in college!" he heard Tyler say.

"I said I was in school, I never said college," he heard some random guy say.

"And why did you lie about your name?!" Tyler demanded to this really young looking dude as Hunter entered the kitchen.

"I didn't! It's a nickname," young dude defended. "Alex. AleXANder. Zan."

Charlie shushed them both when he saw Hunter. "How are you?" Charlie asked, coming up to him. But Hunter, both physically and emotionally exhausted, broke out laughing.

"Omigod," Hunter gasped between uproarious laughter. "Tyler Drake is dating a high schooler!"

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Glad to be back for Volume 4! Just joining us? Catch up now:

Volume 1 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

Volume 2 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

Volume 3 -
Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five

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