LINKAGE (boyxboy)

CHAPTER 102: GROWN FLOWER

Walking around alone in the ground floor of Zarkobretch's house, Gavin was thinking about what happened to Isaac hours before when they arrived. What got him thinking so much was not jealousy of someone alluring Isaac, but how the boy was feeling after the man Martheust insisted on his proposal to the Bethervan even though he denied it more than once. Isaac was very good in hiding his feelings most of the times, so if he felt shaken, vulnerable or violated by the man's actions, he would keep it to himself. Isaac did not like the idea of letting people see him in a vulnerable and emotional state. Gavin was the only one to see it a few times during all these months they have been seeing each other basically every day.

Gavin had a drink in hand, sipping it every once in a while, feeling the sweetness and roughness of the alcohol in his throat. Far from the point he was, he saw the man Martheust in a group with other people, where they laughed loudly at the main subject of the discussion. Gavin kept staring, thinking about having direct conversation with him to comment what happened back then. Gavin trusted in Zarkobretch's choices. So if he chose that man to be in the mission, he was qualified to be there, so the President didn't want him out of it, because that was going to happen if Martheust keep insinuating things to Isaac. Sure that Isaac was not a kid, neither a person who needed protection. He had almost two meters in height and ninety kilograms of muscles, however, in his position of the President's sun and also the Trainer of New Graduated Soldiers, he had to behave politely all the time. His want was to punch Martheust in the face repeatedly until he was out of his consciousness, but he held his wishes inside. Gavin knew Isaac probably wanted to do something by himself, but he kept low because of higher reasons.

Gavin saw an opportunity once the group was starting to dissipate and the Martheust man was now alone in the glassy smoking lounge inside the house. Over there, they had a perfect view of the colored garden inside the field of Zarkobretch's house. The man was busy with his cellphone when Gavin stopped by his side swiftly, not making loud noises. He was just standing in front of the tall windows admiring the garden below them.

"Isn't this garden beautiful?" Gavin said, making the man surprised and raise his head to the direction of the sound. The President did not take his eyes out of the flowers and bushes in front of him. "I didn't know there were so many types of flowers. I see red, yellow, purple, blue, black and even white flowers. It is amazing."

"Are you talking to me?" He asked naively. He didn't know why the President would direct his words to him so he felt confused.

"You are the only one here, aren't you, Mr. Barkyushov?" Gavin turned his head to the left to glance at him with sharp eyes.

The man was not expecting such rude answer, so he didn't know what to say at first, taking his time to talk back to Gavin. "It is really beautiful, Mr. President. Zarko loves this garden. Sometimes he takes care of it himself, when he has the time."

"Oh, Zarko... I admire him a lot. I know him for barely a month but his actions were insanely good to me. I trust in his intuition, in his judgment and ability to know what can proportionate benefits to our mission." Gavin looked at him again once mentioning their Legendary Path mission. "I wouldn't like to dismantle the crew he organized himself, but that is what is going to happen if I hear that you are being inconvenient around Isaac again, Mr. Barkyushov." The boy now turned around to fully face him. Gavin held his hands behind his back and his expressions were very serious.

"I-I don't know what you think you heard, Mr. President, but-" Gavin raised one finger in front of Martheust, making him stop talking instantly.

"You have the courage to reach out for Isaac, say that our relationship is made for business, say that he needed a real man to be with and also send him unwanted dirty sexual pictures, but you do not have the courage to admit it to my face, Mr. Barkyushov? What is so wrong with me that I am not a real man in these eyes of yours? I didn't know being a mid sized person was so contemptuous." Gavin looked straight in his green orbes, demanding an answer, but the man said nothing. "Answer my question, Mr. Barkyushov."