New Beginnings

Chapter 17

Two weeks after the fight. Not a single word was spoken between the two. When Marley set his eyes on Alexander in the office, his heart ached. He knew if he said a thing to the dark-haired man, he'd shut him out—ignore Marley. He made the conscious decision to leave Alexander alone. 

Watching Alexander from afar gave Marley a sensation he could only describe as a knife stabbing his heart. But the dark-haired man made no effort to communicate with Marley, so he tried his best to forget about it. 

Alexander, on the other hand, was terrified that this was their friendship's end. He pushed Marley away, but it didn't mean he wanted him to disappear from his life. The longer he kept away from his friend, the more anxiety filled his body.

His heart hurt when he saw Marley in the office. His stomach filled with a dark fog, knowing he had ruined what he had with Marley. I need to take a chance.

On Friday after work, Marley sat with Shai on the couch as rain tapped on the roof of the house. Together they watched a kid's show. Marley almost dozed off as he sat back. 

The rain grew heavier, making Shai frightened. She cried as  Marley held her in his arms. "It's okay, princess. It's just rain." The blue-eyed man switched the television off and brought the child to the kitchen. "I'll make you a hot drink," he weakly smiled.

After Marley had made both of their drinks, they decided to watch a movie before bed. As he walked to the couch, he heard a familiar voice ring in his ears. It was Alexander. The sound of him talking casually to Marley.  

 Marley's eyes almost popped out of his head. He walked closer and realised he was never there. Tears swelled in Marley's blue eyes and gently fell onto his face. 

He set the drinks down on the coffee table and sat down with Shai by his side. Marley covered his eyes as more liquid dripped from them. He tried wiping them all away, but the tears came back, rushing down his cheeks. "I miss you so much, Xander," Marley whispered.

Shai started to cry with Marley as she looked at him; she clung to his white button-up shirt. The golden-haired man noticed the child and held her in his arms. "Sorry, Shai. Dada's just a bit emotional." 

They hugged for a few minutes before putting on a movie to calm themselves. Marley almost fell asleep as he watched the film, but luckily he stayed awake. On the other hand, Shai had fallen asleep with her head resting on Marley's body.

He smiled at the child as he carried her to the crib. Marley lay her down gently and gave her a little kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Shai."

The sun rose for another day, shining light into the flat. Alexander rubbed his eyes as he awoke. He stared at the blank ceiling above him before getting up. 

He dressed and walked to the shopping mall. He kept his hands in his coat to keep them warm on the windy day. The shops were busy since it was the weekend.

His mind was a blur as he walked around. He heard voices around him, but it was muffled. Alexander was only set on one thing: apologising to Marley. 

The night after their fight, he lay in his bed, replaying the words Marley spoke. "Sorry that I care about you. Have you thought about how I feel? You disappear without saying a word then come back as if nothing happened! I wish you realised that it hurts me when you leave— when you ignore me for days on end."

He felt selfish—and ungrateful. Tears streamed down his face, remembering Marley's hurt face. He thought he'd be able to escape his friend's life without him caring. But in the end, he broke Marley and himself even more. 

Rain splattered on the roof of the mall, growing heavier in a matter of minutes. Alexander had finished his shopping, so he tried waiting for the rain to ease. When he saw it was acceptable to go outside, he walked out the doors, hugging his bags tightly. 

The dark-haired man found a bus stop. He stood next to it, waiting for his bus to catch on Marley's street. Not long after, the vehicle stopped in front of him. 

He got off at his stop and crossed the road to Marley's house. The rain became heavier as he ran, but he was almost there. Alexander almost slipped on the path leading to his friend's house, but he managed to stand on the front doorstep in one piece. 

The bags he held in his arms were soaked. The brown-eyed man prayed that the contents inside weren't damaged. His hair was dripping wet—his clothes were dripping. He felt the wind push the rain in his direction, making his back soaked. 

Alexander hovered his fist over the door, wondering if he had made a mistake. What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he doesn't want to be friends?

He shook his thoughts away and knocked on the door loudly. There was no answer, so he tried again. "Coming!" a familiar man called.

Marley swung the door open, and his mouth parted. A dear friend of his stood on his doorstep, dripping from head to toe. The friend he had been thinking about for weeks. The friend who he had been crying about a few minutes ago. "Xander?" he said with disbelief. 

The brown-eyed man dropped his bags and wrapped his arms around Marley's back. He dug his head into the golden-haired man's shoulder. His hands clung to his friend's white button-up shirt. 

The blue-eyed man placed a hand on Alexander's head and the other on his back. He felt his friend cry on his shoulder. He felt the tears seep through his clothing. "Shh," Marley hushed gently. "You're okay."

Alexander sniffled. "I'm s-sorry"

Marley held his friend tighter, making his heart jump out of his chest. "It's okay." He felt Alexander's dripping hair which caught his attention. "You're soaking wet, Xander."

"It was sunny when I went out, so I didn't think to bring an umbrella."

The blue-eyed man smiled. "Come on, let's get you warmed up."

Alexander had a warm shower and got dressed in some comfortable clothes of Marley's. After he had finished, he sat beside Marley on the couch. He passed the wet bags to his friend. "This is for you."

Marley looked inside the bag and saw numerous pieces of vinyl. His eyes sparkled as he looked at them carefully, one by one. "Xander, you didn't have to."

"No. You deserve it," Alexander said, avoiding any eye contact. 

The golden-haired man smiled. "Did Amara help you pick these?"

"It was Bonnie this time," he weakly smiled.

"Thank you," Marley beamed. "That was sweet of you."

A blush bloomed on Alexander's cheeks. The storm inside had eased off. The man continued to stare at the carpet, wondering what to say. He switched his gaze to Marley, who gave him a gentle expression that melted Alexander's heart. "Y-Your eyes look swollen," Alexander commented.

"Oh, I guess they are," Marley replied awkwardly. "I was crying earlier. That must be why."

Alexander's chest hurt at the thought of it. "I'm sorry, Marley. You do so much for me, but I ended up hurting you when I thought I was doing us both a favour." He returned to the floor, staring at it softly. "What you said to me made me realise what an asshole I was being, and no one deserves to be treated that way—especially you. You're the funniest, warmest, most beautiful, most caring person I know."

A tear slipped from Alexander's eye as he locked his gaze on the coffee table. "And for the record, I don't want you to leave. I never wanted you to go. I'm just scared it will happen again. I don't want it to happen again—especially if it's you."

Marley's gaze softened as he heard Alexander speak about his feelings. Tears dropped from his eyes as he pulled his friend into a hug. "You're so special to me, Xander," he sniffled. "I'm glad you don't want me to leave because I wouldn't want to leave you."

Alexander sank his head into Marley's shoulder, breathing in his beautiful scent. "So, are we okay now?" he mumbled against Marley's body.

Marley smiled. "Only if you listen to my new vinyl with me."

The brown-eyed man laughed. "There's nothing I'd like more."