A Clown Among People

Drawing the menthol smoke into his cold lungs, Oliver allowed it to sit as usual, to fester inside him before exhaling slowly into the blistering night air. The smoke arrogantly wafted into the faces of happy couples as he passed, as if it were obeying the spiteful will of it's conduit, drawing snarls and knitted brows from the victims. The Clown sniggered, but there was no real humour behind it. Every fibre of his being wanted an excuse to ruin somebody's night. He was feeling shitty, so everybody else around him deserved to feel shitty too. It took a powerful force within him to resist the urge to shove an ice cream into a kid's face, or to kick somebody into the sloppy mud.
    Thailand wasn't the place he wanted to be at this time of year. The locals were nice enough, meaning of course their pleasant attitude was unbearable and... hospitable. He'd missed Hallowe'en with Niall, he was missing Bonfire Night, and he would most likely miss Christmas, too. He hated all three, but that simply wasn't the point. There was a constant nagging in his head offering the insight that maybe his father had sent him away on work purposely.
    If he were honest, he wouldn't usually give two fucks if he slept through occasions like those. But seeing Niall's face light up during the holidays was about the only blessing he had, and that had been taken from him. The younger male understood his boyfriend's malicious, hateful nature, and somehow was able to soften him. Perhaps that was the real reason Oliver was angry; he was missing the chance to have life breathed into him. To have a smile on his face caused by somebody that he could make happy.
    He placed the cigarette between his lips for the last time, then dropped it onto the pavement without attempting to douse the stub. Fireworks reflected in the pupils of people he passed, but his own were lined and cold. Lifeless and unforgiving.
    The buzz from his phone pulled him out of the thoughtful smokey haze. Taking it from his jacket pocket, he pressed Niall's text icon. 'Get some sleep tonight. I know what you're like when you're tired and grumpy. x'
    His nostrils flared as he scoffed. 'Telling an insomniac to sleep is like telling a man with a broken leg to get up and walk it off.' he tapped out in response.
    Not ten seconds later came Niall's cheeky reply, 'how about telling a grumpy bastard to lighten up? Is that a better comparison? x'
    Oliver's lips curled at that. 'Go to sleep, I'll call you in the morning.'
    'I love you. x'
    'Good, someone has to. I love you, too. x'
    
Signed,
Elijah.
Meta Sentience.
14/11/2017