Variegated (boyxboy)

[6] Red.

     "I still don't get why you're always doing this." Veronique murmured, leaning across the counter to reach for the knife. Matthews couldn't help but steal a glance at the way his back arched and his leg slightly raised, but caught himself just as his friend looked back at him.

     "It's not everyday I cut carrots, I don't know what you're talking about." Matt nonchalantly replied, chopping away and pointedly ignoring Veronique's unamused expression.

     "I was not referring to this." he stated with a huff, gesturing to the vegetables. "I was referring to how you always get yourself in my troubles just to... hell if I even know the reason!"

     Matthews raised the cutting board above the big pot and slid the carrot slices with his knife, each one plopping into the boiling water next to the other suffering vegetables.

     "It's what friends do."

     Veronique shook his head, grabbing an onion. "No. When in trouble, friends would just point at the other in order to not get the blame. After whoever ends up guilty receives the punishment, the friends would beat each other make up." he lectured, starting to peel off the onion.

     "Does that mean I'm not a good friend?"

     "You're too much of a good friend!"

     The older man looked down at his friend, eyebrows lowering in confusion. "Is that a bad thing?"

     Matthews placed his hand on the counter and propped himself on it, head tilted curiously as he considered his friend's silence. Veronique simply scowled at the almost naked onion, not returning his gaze.

     After a few moments of silence, Matt moved his eyes away and straightened up, picking a wooden spoon and mixing the contents of the pot around.

     "You want me off your back." he deduced.

     "No! Friend, you should know better!" Veronique exclaimed incredulously, raising a hand to tug at the man's striped shirt upon receiving no reaction. "Mattie! What I meant was- it's simply unfair to you, having to receive punishment for no reason."

     "Stop beating around the bush. We've been glued to each other ever since we met, I understand you want some space away from me."

     Whatever reaction he expected from his friend, a tomato wasn't one of them. Half of the vegetable hit him in the shoulder, and its other half hit him in the chest the moment he turned towards Veronique incredulously.

     Matthews could only gasp and tug at his shirt, gazing at the stains dumbfounded. After a few huffs of confusion, he raised his arms, waving them around. "Why would you do that!"

     Veronique glared at him and turned to stab the onion with his knife before starting to slice it. "Because you're speaking nonsense. That, and I'd rather have you angry than sad."

     The taller man gaped at that with a hint of a smile. "Why is that?" he asked, taking off his shirt and wiping the sauce off his chest with it.

     "Because a person like you shouldn't know sadness." Veronique answered, wiping at his eyes which were starting to tear up because of the onion.

     "Why?"

     Veronique growled frustrated at that, turning around and pointing the knife at him. "Will you stop the questioning, or must I cut your tongue?"

     Matthews was about to laugh and reply with something challenging, but his throat ceased to work as he saw his friend's widen eyes trail up and down his torso. Suddenly, he felt insecure for some reason, mentally running over each feature he just exposed- bruises from childhood fights, the small mole he had on the left of his chest, his dark happy trail standing in contrast with his pale skin...