RED PARALLEL

Chapter 34: Way Down

(Owen)

Severe migraine. His head pounded like a giant cracked bell. Owen was half-naked on his bed, sweating cold and mouth dry.

"Phants?"

Traviz was sitting at the bed, head tilted. Frowning.

"Troy, what are you doing awake?"

"Not my fault. Bro, it's late." Traviz leaned closer. "Sorry, but I ate all the lasagna."

"Lasagna?"

Wait a second.

There was something weird...

"Dude, there's something weird here..." Traviz spoke.

"What?"

"Why you slept with the pot of sugar next to ya?"

"Pot of sug-"

The pot of sugar was tumbled over the pillow, grains spread over the sheets. The memory hit his mind like a cannonball. Traviz's abs, the sugar on top, the lick, the taste. The kiss...

"Wait." Owen sat up. "Where did you sleep, Troy?"

"Duh. The sofa." Traviz crossed his arms, pissed. "You said you were bringing your girl here, and I was like, 'well, shit.', and then I slept on the sofa. Then I wake up like, starving, and I knocked on your door, saying like 'yoo, get up, you two, I'm hungry' and stuff, but I heard nothing. So I was like 'wow, sex was savage'. So I ate the lasagna all by myself." Traviz pursed his lips. "I hate eating alone, Phants. Don't ever do this again... And then, I was going to tell ya this, so I knocked on the door again, and then I was like 'well, shit, I'm opening', and then I saw you all by yourself on the bed, sleeping with a fucking pot of sugar!"

Well, shit.

"... 'cause that ain't cool, bro. I slept on that couch, like pretty bad, had lunch all by myself and you what? Ugh..."

Traviz threw himself over the bed, whining, grabbing the pillow tight, and tossing away the sugar grans. "Couch... Lasagna all alone... I'm hurt... Phants, I'm hurt." Then he dragged himself near, grumpy, and said, pointing his finger at Owen, "Momma, I'm very disappointed!"

That would be tremendously cute in any other context, but it was not the case.

I'm disappointed, too.

--

(Owen)

"Phaaants..."

"Yes..."

"When did you say your birth-"

"Excuse me."

Owen locked himself in the bathroom and turned on the shower.

This is not getting difficult. This is getting dangerous.

While letting the scalding water hit the top of his head, Owen rewound the day before, the memories fresh as if they wanted to explicit the great shit he had done.

It all made so much sense. Owen had left home the night before, feeling extremely good. The nervous look on Traviz's face while handing him the shirts was so pleasant. That was a nice and chic payback. Traviz had made Owen drive himself up the wall with all his stupid hot provocations, so irresistible to a point of unbearable. So Owen had planned his revenge and settled himself to a tee, leaving Traviz's alone to feel the thirst and the hunger all by himself. And Owen had so much fun after. It felt great drifting himself to anything that was not Troy related.

"It's been a while, Owen." Geoffrey had welcomed him, splendid in his suit. "Have you been hooking up with someone I should know?"

"Actually, not." Owen grinned. "So, can I come in?"