I don't wanna be your friend

Chapter 21

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Strange things were happening.
With the frequency of their occurrence, Cedric believed that it must not feel so strange anymore. And though things between them were somewhat fine now, walking through the aisles in the supermarket while pushing a fully loaded cart and watching Damien go through the shopping list for the third time could not be described as anything but strange.

It was very strange.

And just when he thought things could not get any more stranger, the looks they were getting were the cherry on top of the whole thing— because, to no one's surprise, Damien had all tricks rolled up his sleeve to get the worst out of Cedric anytime, anywhere. So when Damien insisted they go through the list for the fourth time, Cedric couldn't guess anymore if it was the hidden perfectionist in Damien or his will to be the bane of Cedric's existence, and their argument turned into a fight where they ended up throwing chips bags at each other from the cart.

It took Cedric a few seconds to realize what they were doing, and not proud to be caught in an embarrassing situation like this, he peaked an apologetic glance around. There was only one lean guy on the other side, who was looking at them and smirking knowingly because it looked like, like... Cedric knew what it looked like.
And that made him feel strange all over— in his stomach, his chest, his cheeks, his brain, ugh everywhere.
It was concerning how this strange feeling was all he could think about these days, and here he was starting to zone out again.

Every day he failed to recognize the person he was becoming a little more, and looking at Damien mock sulking and picking up the chips packets, Cedric couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Of course, Damien didn't notice. For someone who was constantly making jokes based on sexual innuendos and was observant of even another person's breathing patterns, he was endearingly clueless and naive at understanding the tone of these things.

Or maybe it was all in Cedric's head, and he absolutely couldn't believe he referred to Damien as endearing, really, who was he becoming.

At this point, they were totally deviating from the matter at hand.
"We got everything on this list and a lot more. Now stop purposely trying to get a raise out of me. I'm sure you don't want to be late to Caiden's birthday party, because he'll hold onto it forever."

That was why he was here, Cedric liked Caiden way too much to do everything to make this day perfect for him. That was why he had taken an off from his shift at the boba café he worked at, and that was why he was putting up with Damien.

After being called out like that, Damien dropped his perfectionist act and leaned over the side of the cart opposite to Cedric, and said
"You know Lance, you could have avoided all this by just telling me what gift you are giving him."

Why did he have to lean so close to ask that? Because now all Cedric could see were Damien's dark irises, and his brain was again starting to think ridiculous things that inflated his self-hatred.

"I didn't know you were this petty. I told you, it's not better than your gift. I can't believe you are getting insecure over this, Frost. Seriously."

Damien looked at him seriously for a second, and then his shoulders slumped down as he sighed.
"You are right. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me today."

It was at times like these where Cedric could see and hear the painful honesty in Damien, and everything else between them would just become noise in the background. Now it was crystal clear that there was some thorn in his side that was making Damien act weird, and he was done ignoring it.