• One Lifestand [BxB] •

09

Mario's PoV: (a first!)

The look on his face when I enter through the door I've been standing in front of a countless times over the last days, inwardly broke my heart. I don't know what I did or said to him that lead to the face he is making right now, but I just want to take it back again. He has panic and horror written all over his face and immediately rushes out of the room as soon as he sees me standing in the entry hall.

Like the lost puppy I am I look over at his best Friend in search for the answer I never got the last two weeks. Whenever I asked him he just looked at me pitifully, the same way he was doing now. Zale never opened the door or answered any of my calls and messages. The call that said he had run out of food stacks, because he didn't leave the house, an hour ago made me feel so bad that I had all but run to the store with Charles after I insisted to accompany him in guilt and worry, no matter what he said. I had put absolutely everything on my way through the grocery store into the shopping chart and had spend around 200$ on food only, that's how horrible I felt. I just want to know what I did wrong and make up for it, that's the only reason for my persistent calls and visits. Emotions of any kind towards someone to this extent are new to me, and even more the fact that someone doesn't seem to try gaining the highest possible out of my wealth, although I'm not sure whether I'd actually prefer that over the fright the boy suddenly displayed towards me. I had spend countless nights roaming my brain for what could've possibly caused his change in emotion but I came up with a blank and his attitude hurt more than I liked to admit, it reminded me almost of my own family.

Charles drops the bags filled with all kinds of ingredients on the glass counter of the spacious kitchen and motions for me to stay there. Obediently I do as I was told and to waste some time, start putting the food away.

Once I'm finished and know pretty much the whole kitchen I look around the living room and dining room that are openly visible from the kitchen .

The apartment is tidy and clean with spotless glass counters and a beautifully simple arranged dark wooden table in between the kitchen and living room. Four White comfortable looking chairs are neatly placed around it and the lamp hovering above the table emits a dim light that floods the dark space. Behind the sofa are two large windows with closed curtains and blinds and on the opposite side of the room is a shelf with a TV on it. In the corners of the room are sound boxes and a few shelves and cabinets all of them clean and organized just like the rest of the apartment.

---

Psychically exhausted I let myself drop down on one of the bar chairs by the kitchen counter and rest my head in my hands.
This whole situation is still so new for me that I blatantly have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I catch myself finishing work sooner only to come to his apartment or making phone calls during work even though I know he won't pick up. Does he even know what he is doing to me? This is so brutally uncharacteristic for me I can't believe I'm actually acting like that, if he wouldn't have backed away from me this extremely I might have just made him mine, the dominant side of me knowing exactly what it had it's eyes on, but with how things currently were my straightforwardness would only make things worse.

A loud sigh escapes my lips, head still resting in my hands and eyes closed in an attempt to understand even the smallest thing about my feelings or his behavior. One thing I know for sure though, is that I am stupidly attracted to the boy and won't be able to just easily forget him. Thinking about it I don't want to forget him, if it takes days or weeks for him to open up to me I'd just have to wait for him. Some sort of instinctive posessiveness had hit me the second I had layed my eyes on him, remembering how I claimed him mine for Aaron to know immediately and followed my urge to hold him close to me.

I'm not familiar with these kinds of feelings ,even less the scenario of someone looking behind my facade of money, for good or for bad. Until now all my 'relationships' had been superficial, no emotions, just lust and the need to dominate, getting myself a new boy toy whenever I felt the urge to. However I know that I don't want to let him go that easily, I'm not successful for no reason. Because if there's one thing I'm good for it's having a certain determination about everything I do.

I open my eyes just in time to see Charles exit the room my little angel previously escaped to and give him a hopeful questioning motion with my head. He lets out a heavy sigh and plops down on the counter chair next to me, his forehead hitting the glass surface with a pretty loud thud.

"I told him that we're going to make dinner and that he has to at least eat with us. Please don't be rash and scare him away tho and I can't promise you anything. I'm surprised he even let me talk him out of that room as long as there are still guests."

I jump off the chair with a sudden newfound glimmer of hope and more energy than I should have with the many sleepless nights I had the last weeks. My goal in mind I determinedly walk around the kitchen counter and open the fridge with a powerful swing. I scan the ingredients in front of me and turn around to look at Charles again. "I don't know how to cook..." I quietly admit in defeat, my face sullen and disappointed. " I have a mother-like maid at my apartment who cooks and cleans everything."

Charles just bursts into a fit of laughter behind me and I shamefully turn away from the fridge and lean on the counter. I definitely need to learn how to cook from Linda soon if it benefits my relationship with Zale I think to myself, glaring at the spotless glass underneath my palms. I get dragged back into reality when a still laughing Charles comes up beside me and claps me on the back in a reassuring motion.

"You know, my cooking skills are not nearly as good as Zales but I'll show you how to make an easy mac n' cheese for now alright?". I gratefully give him a small smile and stand up straight to follow him around the kitchen. Charles unerringly moves through the kitchen and takes out all the supplies, I assume we need to make the dish, as if it was his own. I envied him for he could be so close to my boy without any trouble, I'd give so much for that.

"You two are really close aren't you?" I ask Charles , not able to keep quiet. "We are" he replies, a proud and thankful tone in his voice, "we know each other way back from kindergarten and have been best friends forever. He's basically a brother to me.".

I find myself smiling at that little knowledge about my angel and am about to say something else when Charles continues to talk about their friendship which I gladly listen to.

"You see, he wasn't always that introverted, he still isn't actually, he's just anxious about getting close with anyone, especially romantically. But when we were younger he used to be that cocky sassy brat that would always stick up for poor little me. I was a real crybaby back then." he laughed to himself at the memory. "He's a great guy with countless talents. I have never seen him loose at anything he did, whether it be cooking, writing , drawing or any thinkable sport- he would always exceed everyone's expectations. I'm proud to be able to call him my best friend."

He turns around a bag with noodles in his outstretched hand. I take it from him and put it next to the stove where he continues to put a big pot and a container with what seemed to be salt on. "He deserves the best" Charles stares me in the eyes seriously, which I mirror, "I hope you two work out, you seem to be an honest and respectful man" he finishes his little speech. "Thank you" I smile gratefully at him not all too optimistic about his words, but determined nonetheless.

I want to ask so many questions about what happened to make Zale become afraid of relationships, but I have a feeling that it's not something he would tell me. And I don't think Zale would appreciate us talking behind his back either, so I just leave it at that, glad that I had even gotten at least a little information.

"Put those noodles into boiling hot water together with a teaspoon of salt please" he orders and I follow his instructions. The rest of the cooking is spent in silence, with the occasional comment about what the next step is, and in less than 15 minutes we are finished with the food.

Already knowing where the table wear is from my adventurous task of putting away the groceries, I set the table and place the food in the middle, before walking over to the windows and opening the blinds and curtains. It's cold outside so I refrain from opening them and instead just stare at the grey wet street below me at nothing in particular.