By the time Rory's shift ended at noon, he was ready for a long nap. It was, thankfully, the weekend and he needed to do a bit of shopping in order to prepare for the lack of electricity back at his apartment. 

Unfortunately, he didn't have a car of his own...or a bike. He used the public transportation in order to achieve his more mundane tasks such as shopping. He hated the stares some people would give, but he wasn't about to apologize for bringing his shopping onto the bus with him. 

If a snooty man was allowed to bring his yipping dog on the bus, Rory would bring his shopping on the bus. 

Taking a deep breath, he waited by the bus stop, ignoring a few sneers tossed his way by random passerby. 

He honestly didn't understand why people were so rude to him. No one else was treated with the same amount of hostility he was treated with. He didn't dress weird. Just a t-shirt and pants on days he didn't work. And days that he did, he would be wearing black slacks and a button-down white shirt. 

He kept his hair trimmed and showered everyday. 

Perhaps it was his face. 

Rory snorted to himself at the thought just as the bus pulled up. It would be ridiculous for people to hate him because of how his genetics worked. 

Climbing onto the bus, Rory paid for his ride before settling down and preparing for a two hour trip around the city as he shopped. 

                                                                   * * *

At two-thirty, Rory found himself laden with more bags than he was expecting. 

Heaving a sigh, he set down one of his bags and pulled out his phone, checking his bank account and whether or not the taxi drive home was worth it. 

Reluctantly, he saw that he had almost five hundred left in his account. That didn't include his phone and internet bill which hadn't been taken out yet. With another sigh, Rory stowed away his phone and hailed a taxi cab that had just turned the corner. 

When it slowed down, he let out a relieved breath and opened the door, setting his shopping bags down on the floor in front of him. 

"Where to, sir?" The taxi driver asked. 

"Uh...North 8th Street Complex 4B." Rory stated just as rain started pouring from the sky.

"The rough estimate is eighty-five dollars." 

"Thank you," Rory replied while sinking into the seat, thanking the universe that he had gotten out of the rain just in time. 

About twenty minutes into the drive, the taxi driver was pulling to the side of the road to pick up another passenger. 

Trying to hide his annoyance, Rory gave the okay before unbuckling and scooting over to the other seat while moving his bags out of the way. 

The second passenger entered the taxi after letting out a few swear words. 

"DAMN!" He exclaimed, shaking water out of his eyes. "My driver said the car broke down outside my house. This rain came out of nowhere!" 

Rory's eyes widened in disbelief as he noticed the man from earlier today. "Jude Bex..." he whispered. 

Jude glanced beside him, just now seeing the other man in the car with him. "Oh, it's you." 

Rory scrunched his nose in distaste before turning to look outside the window. 

"Where to, sir?" the taxi driver asked Jude. 

"819 Haven Road," Jude replied in a huff. "Take me there first." 

Rory's eyes snapped back to Jude's in disbelief. "Uh, dude, I was here first and my home is literally fifteen minutes away. Your house is about an hour's drive from here." 

Jude met Rory's unyielding gaze with a hard look. "Driver, I'll pay for his fare as well." 

Rory's eyes opened in disbelief. No way was he wasting two hours of his life when he could be home in fifteen. 

"Fuck it," Rory snapped. "Sir, please let me off here. I'll walk the rest of the way. How much do I owe?" 

The taxi driver met Rory's pissed look with a smile. "Nothing, sir. This man just offered to pay your fare. Please get home safe." 

Ignoring the glare Jude was shooting his way, Rory gathered up all of his things and unbuckling. He tried opening the door. He didn't get far before he felt Jude pull his body away from the door and into the middle seat. 

"Drop him off first," Jude muttered, clearly annoyed. 

"Understood, sir." the taxi driver replied, amusement shining in his eyes.  

Rory let out a huff when the car started moving. "You know, Jude Bex, you can let go of me anytime." 

Jude met Rory's eyes and let out a slow smile. "Hmm...I could let go. You are right about that." 

"Dude," Rory snapped, shoving Jude away and sliding back into his original seat.  

The rest of the drive passed by in silence and Rory couldn't be any happier. It was just his luck to get stuck in a taxi with a man who seemed to always get his way. Not to mention he had left him a ridiculously large tip for a simple coffee and bagel. 

"You live here?" Jude exclaimed as he took in the dingy apartment complex, eyes wide. 

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Rory snapped. He didn't like when people judged him for where he chose to live. That apartment complex did more than save his life. 

It set him free. 

"Do you work tomorrow?" Jude asked before Rory could escape to the safety of his home. 

"No." 

"That's a shame." Jude replied, leaning back in his seat and gazing out the window. 

Rory raised his eyebrows at the taxi driver who, in turn, let out an amused chuckle. He waved and drove off, leaving Rory to stare at the retreating taxi with a mix of anger and curiosity. 

He didn't even want to acknowledge the fact that Jude Bex was expecting to see him again.

FUCK. 

He needed a new job.