COUNTDOWN

FIVE

Vegas's POV

 
It has been about a week now since that stranger- Oh, I can't call him that now- Pete...since Pete and I became more than just friends. About a week now that we have been eating each other out on a daily basis. 

It is 10 in the morning. Just now, after eating each other on the balcony, Pete is busy cleaning himself up in the shower. Today being the weekend, I have ample amount of time to engage in some bed activities with him. 

I prepare us both omlette and some sausage so as to replenish our energy. He walks out of the bathroom in a bathrobe as he goes to my closet and wears a black oversized tshirt with white shorts. 

"This clothes are not yours are they? The size is different." He asks as he inspects the clothes.  

"Yah, they belonged to my husband." 

"Well, they fit me perfectly. He must have had a similar built as me." 

"Hmmmmm" 

"He also has a good taste for things it seems." He says with yet another of his smile. 

"Yess..... He had a good fashion sense." 

"Well I didn't mean the clothes...." He mumbled to himself but I heard him nevertheless.
He then runs towards the kitchen as he looks at the dish I am preparing.
"Omlette?" he asks.

I just nod as I prepare the dish and serve it on the plate as he just simple sits on the countertop and looks at me and smiles. 

"It's been a week and you haven't done a single house chore." I say as I sit at the dining table, urging him to do the same. 

He hesitantly gets up and then sits opposite me. "But it's your house not mine." He replies with a smirk.

Come to think about it.... " Where's your house?" I ask. It's been almost a week and he hasn't left my room, and neither bothered himself with informing someone about his whereabouts.

"My house? Well..... I lived with my Friend.........or Boyfriend if you would like to call him that. Since I left that place, I have nowhere else to go."

"No relatives or friends?" I ask and something about his reaction makes me think it was a bad decision to have asked.

"I am an orphan and as I said the only friend I had was Him, except I wasn't a friend in his eyes." he says as he looks down.

Worrying that I might have unintentionally made him remember some unpleasant memories, I try to divert the topic and instead ask him about his hobbies and work.

"I am a painter. I often draw as a hobby."

"Oh! so like you take freelancing jobs?"

"No I am forbidden from taking up job assignments. I was only allowed to draw portraits of us Both." 

Without asking, I seem to have figured out what or who it might have been that forbid him from pursuing his dreams and So I suggest instead to brighten up his mood,

"How about we go shopping for some art supplies? You can then come home and draw whatever you'd like and not something you are told to." I say as he continues staring at me, with his eyes filled with what I suppose is relief and grief.

Pete spent an entire afternoon choosing his art supplies. I didn't know artist were that picky when it came to their materials. After he was satisfied with the [purchases, he suggested going on a small walk in the garden, which I gladly accepted. He wanted some inspiration for his art it seemed as he looked around trying to capture the little moments while we walked hand in hand through the park. 

Once we saw the sun going down, and with his legs giving out, we thought we should call it a day. But before going home, we had to hit the supermarket for food.

"What would you like to eat tonight?" I ask him.

"Are you planning on preparing something special?" he instead answers with another question. 

"Not Really..."

"Then how about hotpot?" 

"Fine by me. It's been a long time since I last made hotpot."

"It's been a long time since I last ate one as well." he replies as he rushes off to the meat section as he starts looking around for the best quality meat.

"This one doesn't look meaty enough." 

"How about this one?" 

"Premium?" he asks in disbelief.

I slightly chuckle at his reaction. "Yep. let's take this one." 

"But the price....." he says as he looks at the meat that I placed in the cart.

"Don't worry, I can buy this whole supermarket too if I wanted." I say as I ruffle his head.

'Look at that.'
'Is he out of his mind or something?'
'Maybe we should call the security.'
'Why Infront of young kids?  Come on Daisy, let's go.'

Pete feels guilty after hearing the people's whispers and judgmental stares so he runs off. Vegas runs after him, not before glaring at the nosy bystanders. 

"Pete! Pete!" I stop Pete from running away any farther.

"I- I am sorry. S-Sorry... It-It's because of m-me that you are getting s-such reactions from them." he somehow speaks in between his sobs.

"Shush" I say as I hug him to calm him down. 

"It's not your fault. How is it your fault when the only thing that we did is to fall in love Pete."

"But...But I don't want you to be judged by these people."

"If the price I have to pay to be forever with you is a bit of judgements from the society, then I don't mind Pete. Remember I love you, and that's all that matters." I kiss him on his forehead and wipe his spilling tears off his face as he smiles a genuine smile.

"Come on let's go. Tasty hotpot is waiting for us at home." I take his hand in mine as we walk back home together. 

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