He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Twelve - What He Didn't Want

Warren passed his exams with very high grades. Seeing as Kyan not only came from an advanced civilisation, but had learnt new skills over several lifetimes, this was probably not surprising. He entered his chosen university and majored in Robotics, before being scouted by a laboratory working on advancing robotic technologies in current industries. He was careful not to overuse his extensive knowledge and worked hard to help fellow inventors and professors in advancing their work rather than standing out.

Aidan's final exam results the year following were good, but far less impressive. They were good enough to get on the Business Management course his father had convinced him to apply for, but after a 'torturous' six months, Aidan dropped out in favour of entering the kitchen of a local restaurant full time. It was harder work than the lazy young man had imagined, but that same nature of his saw him becoming an indispensable worker as he learnt what he was shown first time (it required less energy that way) and swept through the kitchen in the most efficient and effortless way possible at all times. He began to enjoy the art of cooking so much that he would use a portion of his time off (that was not spent relaxing on the sofa) to experiment with recipes or attempt his own. Warren became his number one guinea pig. Unfortunately, not all his experiments were a success; Warren used a fair bit of toothpaste, puked in the toilet at least three times, even spent a night in the hospital attached to a drip.

There had been no more missions from either System; Aidan assumed he was done with the missions and had succeeded in saving Warren from whatever fate had planned.  Warren assumed the System had gone offline since even though he had failed the last mission, there weren't any more due after that. He believed his missions would resume after he died in this lifetime, which is why he hoped to enjoy this life as best he could while he could.  Of course, he did not know about the strange text from the unknown number nor that the System could no longer complete the plans it had for this world.

One year after Warren had graduated from university, he received a text from Hanna, who he'd kept in regular contact with, asking him to meet her.

"I've met someone and he asked me to marry him!" She told him over coffee. She spoke with much emotion and gesture and as rapidly as always. "But I haven't said yes yet, I mean, we've barely known each other six weeks! Don't you think that's too short a time?"

"How do you feel about him?" Warren asked.

She blushed instantly and a dreamy expression washed over her face, her green eyes becoming distant. "When I see him my heart begins to beat harder and faster and I think that the whole world must be able to hear it. My skin tingles when he touches me or even when he's standing just next to me. I'm happy when I can see him and I feel low when he's not. If I don't concentrate hard on whatever I am doing, my mind begins to wander and before I know it he has invaded my thoughts again." She sighs. "That's love, right?"

Warren chuckled. "You are asking me, the man who can't tell like from love?"

"Oh, so you still haven't experienced a heart-thumping, heat rising, eyes wandering sort of thing yet," she said the question as if it were more of a statement, but her silly friend failed to take the hint and shook his head. Hanna sighed and wondered if she would have to swing a baseball bat at his head before he figured it out. How many times had that man's name entered their conversations, these past months, so far? She thought for a moment over her next words, after all telling someone such things always resulted in denial if one was not careful. "I want to tell him yes, but I am scared. But I am more scared that if I continue on this way, someone will snatch him away before my eyes. I don't think I could stand that. Pain, jealousy, they are as much a part of loving someone as the happiness and passion."

Their conversation turned to other things, but Hanna hoped she had left him with at least a little food for thought.

Warren did think about her words for about a minute as he made his way from the cafe to the restaurant where Aidan worked.  They had planned to see a movie that evening.  He glanced into the restaurant to see the young chef speaking with a customer.  This happened on occasion where customers wished to speak to the chef to compliment them, but the Head Chef had "no time for such nonsense" and always sent Aidan in his place.  This did not upset or slight the customers for the most part as Aidan was clearly very easy on the eye.  A smile came unbidden to his lips as he watched Aidan for a moment, happiness welling in his gut.

The young woman touched her hand with delicately painted pink nails to the white sleeve of Aidan's shirt, squeezing his arm gently as she spoke to him.  Aidan laughed amicably to whatever she said and did not remove her hand.  Warren's smile faltered and fell, his fast beating heart suddenly ached painfully as Hanna's words rang in his ears.

Don't touch him, he thought, I don't want you... anyone to touch him away.  To snatch him away from me.  I want to be near him, I'm happy when I am with him, I don't like it when he's not with me or when he forgets to text me in the evenings we don't see each other.  I... I like him! Should I tell him? But... but what if he doesn't want me, what if he leaves me?

Dwelling on his own thoughts he didn't hear Aidan exit the restaurant and call to him.  He touched the smaller man's shoulder to gain his attention and was surprised when confronted with glistening eyes.  "Hey, are you alright?"  Warren nodded, but turned his gaze to his feet as he often did when worried about something.  "Still want to go to the cinema?"

"Yes!" Warren said in a loud, sharp tone.  They walked side by side for a few minutes in silence before Warren asked; "Th-that girl in there was pretty, do you like her?"

Aidan frowned at the odd question.  "No.  I don't even  know her.  She was a customer, that's all."  His tone was a little cold as he spoke, but Warren didn't notice, still dwelling in the turmoil of his own thoughts.

"Do you have someone you like?"  Warren's question was barely above a whisper and Aidan had to pause to let his brain figure out what he had said.

"I do," he admitted, curious to where these questions were leading.

"Oh," was all that came in response followed by more silence.  Aidan paused mid stride when he realised that Warren was no longer beside him.  He turned to find the smaller man standing still, his head bowed low, droplets of water splashing at his feet.  Aidan rushed to him and grabbed at the hands that were trying to hide the weeping face.

"Warren, what's wrong?" Aidan's voice cracked slightly as he sought to comfort his friend. 

"I don't want you to," Warren said between sobs.

"Don't want me to?" Aidan questioned. "What?"

"You're going to leave me for that person you like, I don't want that!"

A plethora of thoughts entwined with a slither of hope filled Aidan's mind. "Why? Why don't you want that?" He asked, desperately wanting to both hear the answer and flee before it was given.

"Because," Warren wailed, "because I like you and it would hurt if you left me!"

Euphoric joy crashed over Aidan like a downpour of glitter and chimes.  He gathered Warren into a tight embrace as his own eyes began to fill with tears.  "I won't leave you Warren. Ever. I swear."

"Yes you will," the words were barely understandable as they were spoken into Aidan's chest.

"No I won't," Aidan chuckled and pushed Warren away gently by his shoulders before cupping the man's face in his calloused hands.  "Warren, the person I like is you.  I love you."  Before Warren could register his words, Aidan bowed down and tilted his head in order to capture the others lips with his own.  Warren melted into Aidan's arms as he returned the kiss, something that was far distant and more consuming to those chaste few he had shared with Hanna so many months ago.  They separated only when they needed to breathe.  "I love you so much."

Warren couldn't stop the smile that spread across his damp and flushed face.  "Do you think we could skip the movie?"  He no longer wanted to sit in the dark where he couldn't see Aidan beside him.

Aidan grabbed his hand and laughed whole heartedly as they began to run down the street towards Aidan's apartment.