Love You More

Chapter 9: Be With You

"My colleagues are curious about you," Win said as he climbed behind Wright to board the motorcycle after putting on his shiny red helmet.

"What did you tell them?" Wright asked as he maneuvered the motorcycle out of the space reserved for dropping off and picking up passengers.

"Nothing, just that you are concerned for me, that is all," Win replied in an impassive tone as he gingerly placed his hands on Wright's shoulders.

"Is that what you really think this is?" Wright asked in an amused tone and Win felt rather than saw the smirk on the older man's face hidden by the helmet he is wearing.

"What else could it be, Wright? Pity?" Win asked in a bitter tone and was jolted when Wright suddenly stopped the vehicle when a car almost sideswiped them.

"Why would I pity you?" Wright asked cautiously as he gradually eased into the main road traffic.

"Because I'm dumb and pathetic," Win spat out in a tone that is rife with self-loathing that Wright couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. He has been Win's personal service for almost a month now but it seems like the younger man is still hung up on his ex-lover and the thought irked Wright to no end but he chose to keep his composure.

"What happened has happened because there are two consenting adults who decided to enter a relationship under questionable terms. People make mistakes, no one is immune to bad judgment," Wright replied patiently as he gradually picked up speed when they reached a less-congested secondary road.

"Typical Wright, you always succeed in turning something emotional into something practical," Win scoffed testily and Wright strained to hear the sarcasm in the younger man's tone.

"Is that good or bad?" Wright asked honestly as he deftly navigated a sharp curve.

"Depends on how you look at it," Win replied nonchalantly as he unconsciously gripped Wright's shoulders tighter when the older agent picked up speed.

"I could stay away if you want me to," Wright blurted out in a defeated tone all of a sudden, and Win almost smacked the back of his head if they weren't speeding along the highway on a motorcycle.

"I never said I want you to stay away, where did that thought come from?" Win asked in an irked tone, raising his voice so that Wright could hear him with the wind rushing against them.

"Do you think I'm only doing all of this out of pity?" Wright shouted back in a frustrated tone.

"Then why?" Win shouted back in an equally annoyed tone.

"Sheesh, do you really want me to spell it out for you, Darwin?" Wright muttered exasperatedly and Win felt his heart leap up his chest at the insinuation but he chose to keep his cards close to his chest.

"I don't want to assume things, Wright. I am an overthinker and I always tend to assume wrongly so please spare me the cryptic lines," Win said in a broken tone as he felt a stab of guilt for taking out his frustrations on the older agent but he couldn't help himself. Aside from going out of his way to make Win feel as comfortable as possible even if his ankle is all healed up, Wright never explained to Win the reason behind his efforts to consistently be a presence in the younger man's life.

Wright took a harsh breath but said nothing, electing to concentrate on the road for a while. He needed to collect his thoughts properly as he has never confessed to anyone before, even while he was in college. He just lacked the social skills and the confidence because he was the typical schoolboy burying his nose in his books with the ultimate goal of finishing his studies, landing a decent-paying job, and helping his family out of poverty so that his father who has been working overseas for as long as he can remember can finally go back home and stay with them for good. But everything went down the drain after he gave in to the temptation that was Alice and paid dearly for it. Both of them remained silent until they finally pulled up at the gate of Win's home.