The Agreement •MXM• (Book 1)

Brownies aren't black

Aaron

10:30 pm at night I get back home. I open the door and smile when I see all the lights on,I get to tease him. Taking off my tie as soon as I step one foot into my house letting myself unwind and really breath for the first time today. "Aaron you're back,hey."my smile falls off my face as soon as it came. It twists with discomfort as soon as I realise he's notnfocused with me being home. I suppose I'm getting too used to him leaning on the kitchen island and asking me how my day went with a mischief spelling smile. We throw jabs back and forth until the moment we say goodnight. Today he's rushing around the kitchen without looking at me,
"What are you doing?"I ask,
"Nothing- only two buttons down please no more."Cyrus remarks pointing an accusing finger at my fingers which are unbuttoning my shirt,I roll my eyes,
"Whatever- what are you cooking?"I ask again doubting that he's making a bowl of instant noodles with a kitchen towel over his shoulder walking between an open book and the oven. That and the fact that my kitchen is a mess,
"Brownies."
"Oh... do you know how to cook that?"I'm scared. I mean he's never once actually cooked anything in this house. Even his grandmother agrees that he's terrible at cooking,
"Well,yeah. I called my Nana and asked her how to make it."I watch him cautiously as stirs a pot that seems to be making more smoke than what's normal. "Stop looking at me like that Aaron. I'm competent enough to do that."he says seeming at little flustered. Immediately I seal my lips and with my finger,
"So are they ready?"I deliberately walk around the island and get close to him,this seems to make him even more upset,
"Almost. I tool them out earlier and they were kind of raw."he explains closing the book with the recipe.
"And is that a sauce you're going to add or...?"I point to the smoke hazard pot trying not to make a face,
"Yeah,it is."he washes his hands in the sink and takes me by my arm dragging me to the living room,"So listen."he says putting me down,like he had carried me here,
"What's up?"
"I was sorting through my mail,which is full of all this stuff that weirdo got me."he huffs out,hands on his hips.
"Did you not like the key chains?"I shift nervously,
"How did you know it was key chains?"Crap- I can't believe I just let that slip.
"Oh- oh! I saw them on your desk,while I was cleaning. Haha,I either that or you told me at some point,ha."you really can't get away from his glare can you?
"Whatever-"he says that but I doubt he means it,he's still thinking about it. Waiting for when I finally let my guard down,"It was this letter,it's addressed to me and you. I wanted to open only after you come back."He hands me a letter with both our names on it. I open it,
"A ball?"
"There's still balls? I thought they stopped having those in the eighteenth century?"he says and I scoff reading over the invitation again,
"I mean yeah,this is just an event cosplaying as a ball. A masquerade of them all."
"Are we gonna go?"he asks taking the letter from my hands to look at it himself,
"We'll discuss that after we figure what that burning smell is."I get up and turn of both the oven and the stove looking on in horror as the kitchen fills with smoke and a charred smell. Hesitantly,I open the oven to see what I know to be brownies that are black. Strangely,I'm not even mad. I just look at them and laugh,"Well,I guess we'll have to eat the brownies with no sauce."Cyrus doesn't seem all that pleased watching me take the matter with a light heart.

__________________

Are the brownies burnt beyond repair? Yes. Is it ruining our evening together? No.
It's probably one of the best times because Chinese take out has never tasted this good. We did have to wait fifteen minutes though- which is fine we scrubbed the dirt off the stove and pot as we waited. We'll probably have to clean more after we finish eating,and this episode of love in a lab has to be over too. Who knew dating shows could be this interesting?
"They don't have chemistry,I'm calling it."I say to Cyrus who gasps at my remark,
"What makes you say that?"he asks through a mouthful of popcorn I didn't even see him make. I'm tempted to make a joke about him not burning it but I have no intention of sleeping on the street tonight,
"Sure,they like each other,they have history. They know each other but they can barely keep a conversation going. They look bored whenever they see each other and you know it."I supply but he doesn't look impressed at all. He takes his hands out from under his comforter so he can make a show out if it,
"And where have you ever seen something as mystical as that?"
"Well... me and you for example-"
"No! No,no,you will not put the two of us in that light."he affirms as he laughs. I tilt my head in question watching him take a swing of whatever drink he's decided to ingest in some colourful can,
"What light? The light that suggests that we may be more than friends?"why am I provoking him? I have no idea but that passing rational thought,isn't stopping me from challenging him,
"We're not friends."he corrects gesturing to he space between us. Which is ridiculous considering that the action sheds light on the fact that we're sitting together using the same blanket.
"Cyrus,am I that unappealing as a romantic option?"he quiets for a moment as he stares at me,the noise from the TV becoming background sound.
"You're trying to make me out to be a jerk-"he explains hesitantly,"It's not that you're unappealing. I'm sure that people think- no it's a public fact that you're young,rich and successful and handsome. I literally received death threats when we got married."he supplies and I nod pausing our show so I don't miss the bit where I was right about the couple all along. I turn back to Cyrus,
"Hearing you call me handsome is an ego stroke,yes. But you did it indirectly. I don't care much for what people think right now. I want to know what you think..."I place my finger on his chest and I swear I'm not imagining his breath hitching,"of me."I place the same finger to my chest,getting my face close to his. He looks away as soon as I'm where I want to be,I can hear his breath picking up a fast pace. I'd be lying if I said I don't like making him nervous. "Cyrus."I urge,and he huffs,taking another shot of whatever overly sweet drink he's having,
"Why do you- I don't know,Aaron."
"That's fine. Let me ask the question more clearly- do you think I'm handsome Cyrus?"am I deliberately touching his arm right now? Yes,yes I am. At some point this burst of confidence is going to deflate like a sad balloon so I better use it while I can.
"What? That's not even remotely relevant to the topic at hand."he argues,and I nod along,
"Of course,physical appearance isn't everything in a romantic relationship."
"Exactly."he shifts away from me slowly
"But it sure is an addition to things. Besides,I'm already the whole package. Young,rich, and IF I may add smart. So all that's not enough I have to confirm if I'm good looking with you?"
"I have no idea why you're doing this."he grumbles,I laugh,
"You don't know what this is? Cyrus have you never been flirted with?"he opens and closes his mouth a couple times in shock,I can't help but grin,
"You're not doing that."
"Of course I'm not. I'm simply egging you on,not too different from flirting. But if I wanted,I can flirt with you."
"I believe its if I WANT not you."he huffs and I eat another handful of popcorn,
"Hmm- I see. After all it was a simple question,am I handsome? You're quite the dodgy type,but I'm a persistent man. Opposites attract,huh?"
"Can you stop? Who set you up to do this? Who sent you?!"he sounds angry but he's laughing as he shakes me by my arm,I smile myself,and turns the TV back on. He stops accusing me with his spy voice and looks at a notification from his face,
"What is it?"I ask once he's been staring for a minute or two,
"It's Zahir. He sent me a video,"he puts his phone between us so I can see as well,"It's a video of our interview."the room falls dead quiet,
"No."
"Yes,it is Aaron."
"Oh my lord,no."I hold my head in despair,there's no way they filmed the whole thing,"No,it's fine. It's fine they probably edited the entire thing out-"then he presses play and I hear our entire conversation nothing left out being played at full volume. Of course they left it in. A sweet scoop of information- Cyrus and Aaron can't get off each other's throats for two seconds.
"It's not bad Aaron-"
"Not bad? Every time I'm on camera I put on airs of being calm and cool,now there's a video of me having a petty argument on the Internet."
"Being petty isn't necessarily a bad thing. And besides people are saying we're cute together."
"If you want to be cute,go ahead. But me? I don't want to be that."
"You're being so dramatic. People say we're adorable,here look at the comments-"
"No! I don't want to see that."I demand amd Cyrus looks at me like I'm throwing some sort a tantrum,it makes me feel like I should probably reflect on my behaviour. I won't. He's not the only prideful one between us,
"Whatever. In the articles it says they're looking foward to seeing us at the Masquerade ball,looks like we might have to go."he concludes,"Zahir will go,Austin's going too."
"That means Victor's probably going as well."I ponder,biting my lip without being able to help it my knee starts to bounce,
"I thought you guys said he was a mechanic? Why would he go?"
"That's what he wants people to call him. He's actually a pretty inactive pro racer."
"Woah. Can't wait to meet him. Is he hot?"
"Is he hot? I thought you said you didn't care about that,Button? Are you being a cheat again?"he playfully shoves me on my shoulder.
"Cheat? No,I just wanted to know. What? Are you jealous that I'm asking about another man?"he has this glint that I've seen since the very first day I met him,this little mischievous spark in his eyes. I hate that I love it,
"Cyrus. You can't be mildly serious-"
"Do you not know what this is? I'm egging you on."this gremlin of a man. And then he just gets up and starts walking to his room. How dare he?
"Cyrus,get back here."he waves and blows me a kiss leaving me to debate what I should be doing with him and his behaviour.