New Beginnings

Chapter 24

Alexander tapped away on his computer. The office was relatively quiet as he worked away. Footsteps were heard in his left ear that slowly drew nearer. "This is yours," Carter stated, placing a few sheets of paper on the brown-haired man's desk.

"Thanks."

"You're wel-" he stopped mid-sentence, noticing something on Alexander's body that wasn't there before. "You've got hickeys," he said with disbelief. "So, I was right! You really are dating someone."

"Go back to your desk," Alexander grumbled.

"No! I need to figure it out."

"Carter," Alexander looked at his computer screen, "Can you let me tell you in my own time?" he said in a serious tone.

Carter respected his wishes, satisfied that he was right all along. "Okay."

Alexander sighed as Carter walked back to his desk. The brown-haired man continued his work, looking at the sheets Carter had given him.

As he tapped away on his keyboard, his phone started to ring. It was a number he hadn't seen in a while. His eyes widened as he felt his chest tighten. Why is he calling? Alexander picked the phone up, accepting the call. "Hello, Alexander."

"Why are you calling me?" Alexander shook with rage.

"I'm your father, Alexander. Don't talk to me like that."

Marley looked up from his computer, seeing Alexander standing with his phone in his hand. His face looked scared, angry and sad all at once. He'd never seen that expression his lover before—it worried him. "Xander!" Marley stood up.

The brown-haired man looked at Marley, then looked away again. He went to the staff room to talk to his father privately.  "Why are you contacting me after all these years!"

"Your mother...she's sick."

Alexander's eyebrows furrowed. "Is it the same thing Elias had?"

His father sighed, "We don't know. She's just started feeling like this. It's too early to tell." Alexander stayed silent, not knowing what emotions he was meant to feel. He hadn't spoken to his parents since Elias died. His death drifted the family more apart, and now his mother was seriously sick.

"She wants to see you."

The dark-haired man was quiet. He didn't know what to say. There were too many things he had to say that nothing came out of his mouth. "XANDER!" Marley called as he ran into the staff room. 

"Alexander," his father continued, "call me back." The call was ended and the poor man stayed standing in the staff room without a thought. 

The golden-haired man wrapped his arms around Alexander's back, hugging him as tightly as he could. "Xander, what's wrong? Why did you have that look on your face?"

The brown-eyed man returned the embrace, digging his head into Marley's shoulder. "My father...he called."

"W-Why?"

"My mother is sick."

Marley's eyes glimmered in the light. He shut them tightly as he continued to hold his lover close. "Oh, Xander, I'm sorry."

Alexander didn't respond. He couldn't say anything, yet he had so much to say.  "W-We should go back to work. Our boss will be mad-"

"Xander, that doesn't matter right now. You just received some heavy news-"

"I'm okay. I want to go back to work." 

The brown-haired man slipped away from his lover's embrace, walking out of the staff room. "Xander..."

A couple of hours later, it was time for lunch. Marley stood up to go to the staffroom but noticed Alexander wasn't at his desk. He then walked to the staff room, seeing his partner wasn't there either. 

His heart raced with anxiety as he looked around the office for Alexander. He then walked out of the building to see if he was outside, and there he found him, on the phone to what he presumed was his father.

"Okay," Alexander sighed, "I'll keep you updated. Bye."

"Xander," Marley gently said. "You worried me. I couldn't find you anywhere in the building."

"Sorry," he looked to the ground, clenching his phone in one hand.

"No, don't apologise," Marley stood beside his lover, looking to the pavement. "Are you okay?"

"Mm," Alexander hummed, unsure of his feelings. "He wants me to go see her."

"Are you going to?"

"I don't know."

Marley's eyes were slightly rimmed with tears. He leant back on the wall with his arms crossed. "I know your relationship with your parents isn't great, but I think she'd appreciate you being there with her. You might regret it later if you don't see her now."

"I've never travelled overseas," Alexander said more quietly. 

Marley's eyes widened. "They don't live in the United Kingdom?"

Alexander shook his head. "They moved to Canada after Elias died."

Marley's wide eyes darted around the pavement. "Xander..."

Alexander looked at his partner, seeing a stressed look on his face. "H-Hey, what's wrong?"

"Can we talk about it at home?"

"Okay."

Alexander looked around, seeing no one was around. With his right hand, he moved Marley's face with his chin and pressed his lips against his lover's. Marley chuckled into the kiss, slowly breaking it to look into Alexander's eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you more, Marley."

Marley smiled, followed by a sigh. "I wish life wasn't so complicated."

"Me too," Alexander huffed, "but if we stick together, we can get through it."

The blue-eyed man gave his lover a sweet smile. "That sounds good." He gave Alexander a quick kiss on the cheek. "Let's go have some lunch, okay?"

"Alright," Alexander chuckled.