The Bond

Ch 102

"Bold."/"Bold italic" : animatronic is talking/animatronic is talking in mind

"Normal."/"Normal italic." : human is talking/human is talking in mind

=o^o=

"I have a question."

Michael turned his head from the radio next to Ennard who sat far beside him. "You have a question?"

Ennard looked back at him. "Actually, two."

"You have a question?"

"So what?"

Michael was silent for a moment, his eyebrows raised, then he shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little. "I just didn't expect it at all," he said. "An Ennard has questions, wow."

Only a grunt Ennard gave him in return, completely unimpressed by the satirical undertone to his words. "I can't be curious now?"

"I never said that," Michael replied quickly to defend himself, before laughing briefly and sitting up close to Ennard—the red-haired man did nothing but let him be, no shooing or threatening words against him getting closer, nor signs he was going away from him. "What do you want to ask?"

Ennard was quiet for a moment, then his gaze moved to Michael. "That thing," he said. "Why do you like it?"

"What thing?" Michael frowned in confusion.

"The one we met back then."

"The cat?" Michael finally seemed to realize what Ennard meant and grinned. "They are adorable, and gentle. Their bodies are warm, their ears are tiny—and their tails! Also they're always indifferent to the business of other people or animals, only caring about themselves. It's quite cranky sometimes too, but they're so cute!" Michael continued his speech excitedly. "They remind me of you as well."

Ennard raised his eyebrows quickly. "Are you saying that I'm selfish?"

"Yes."

"Fair enough."

"I know right?" Michael chuckled, before reaching for his can of beer on the table in front of them. "Cats are so adorable, I love them." He took a sip of his beer. "Damn, I haven't drank this in a long time."

Ennard's forehead furrowed even deeper. "You know I'm not going to take care of you if you're drunk, Afton."

"I have a high tolerance for alcohol, don't worry, I won't get drunk even if I drink a dozen beers." Michael shook the can in his hand in a bored manner, before he cringed and gritted his teeth in irritation before quickly putting the can away. "Now it reminds me of my father and how he could drink a lot of alcohol without getting drunk or sober. Yuck, I don't want to be like him." The eldest Afton stood up quickly and headed into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to get a cold can of orange juice before he returned to his original seat.

"Well I actually meant Thomas Zachary not the cats, but to be honest I thought you were the type of person who likes dogs."

"Dogs?" Michael gave a little 'heh' and pursed his lips. "The creature is like the incarnation of the devil. Terrifying. I hate them."

This time Ennard showed genuine interest. "Why? Isn't there a species of them that people find adorable?"

"Adorable? Them?" he grumbled. "I got nine stitches in my leg when I was ten because of them! They're so terrible! I didn't do anything and it chased me!" Michael said exasperatedly, before he calmed down but still didn't stop grumbling.

"But you're acting like a dog," Ennard responded. 

"I can be one for you."

"You're crazy bastard." Ennard stared at him with a look somewhere between disbelief, surprise, and disgust all at once. "Stop flirting—"

"Because you are my murderer, yeah yeah yeah." Michael drank his orange juice unamusedly. "Maybe I'm just too comfortable around you, hmm." He tapped his fingertips against his lower lip.

Ennard squinted for a while, seeing how Michael was thinking with a serious face even though what he said actually didn't make any sense at all. His brows knit together, he resisted the urge to tug at Michael's cheek; for some reason it looked very tempting to be pinched, he looked chubby even though he always denied it. His eyes shifted to Michael's slender finger which kept tapping his slightly parted thin lips with the same rhythm. Ennard blinked slowly, before looking away nervously, his face feeling warm.

"By the way, you said you had two questions earlier," Michael said again, starting a new topic after they had been silent for two full minutes. Michael tilted his head in confusion because Ennard suddenly rose from his seat. "Where are you going?"

"Far from you."

"Why?"

"Because—"

There was a possibility he did something unexpected, that lips seem tempting.

"Because I want to sleep and you better not disturb me while I'm charging." Ennard snorted softly, he turned his back to Michael and started walking towards one of the rooms.

Michael nodded in understanding, he said cheerfully. "Then save your last question for later!"