A Star for Baby (boyxboy)

Cassiopeia

Hope you all are having a good day! Or at least not a day that makes you want to die! (On second thought, that's a lot to ask of a day)

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Oliver slunk his eyes open, woken up by a delicious scent wafting from the kitchen. He reached a hand out, feeling the empty sheets next to him. His hand closed around a piece of paper.

Cruel like the nightfall

I am my own murderer

Love, pull me awake

Oliver traced the words with his finger. He felt the strange urge to kiss the paper, but decided against it. He could go to the kitchen and kiss a real boy instead. So he rolled out of bed, pulling on some clothes as he went.

Baby made a sight for sore eyes as he stood at the stove, in nothing but one of Oliver's t-shirts. He hummed and swayed his hips as he worked, dancing to the music in his head. Oliver cleared his throat, and Baby whipped around with a smile.

"Oh hey! Good morning!"

"Good morning," Oliver smiled back. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"Well I was up already," Baby shrugged. "I've been in the bathroom since five. Coughed up so much blood I could've been a vampire with indigestion."

Oliver paled, not even stopping to laugh at the joke. "And you didn't wake me up?"

Baby didn't give a response. He turned back to the stove, where French toast was simmering in a pan. A casual person might not be able to tell Baby was upset, but Oliver saw the way his knuckles clenched white on the handle of the skillet. He walked up behind him, wrapping his arms slowly around Baby's midsection. He dwarfed Baby like this, and nuzzled his face into Baby's beanie. Baby was stiff in his embrace.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked him softly.

"Nothing," Baby replied immediately.

This caused Oliver to slowly unwind his grip. He took a step back from Baby, who still wasn't facing him. Worry caused a lump to grow in his stomach.

"Baby, what happened this morning?"

"Nothing happened, Oliver," Baby snapped.

Oliver felt his hackles raise. Couldn't Baby see this was a big deal?

"Then why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset," Baby clenched and unclenched his fist.

"You're clearly upset."

"Because I didn't want you to wake up, okay?" Baby whipped around to face Oliver, eyes swimming with an unidentifiable emotion. "I didn't want you in the bathroom with me."

Oliver felt something unpleasant curl in his gut. It took only a split second for him to identify it as the feeling of rejection.

"Why?"

Baby didn't answer again, looking angrily down at the floor.

"Baby I'm here for you," Oliver's voice sounded pained, even to himself. "I love you."

"And that's the problem," Baby muttered.

It was like an icy stab to the heart.

"What?"

"Oliver, I could die," Baby looked up at him then, tears almost spilling from his eyes.

"And you won't," Oliver said instantly.

"But I could. And I did a stupid thing marrying you and loving you and letting you live here."

Oliver choked back some tears, biting down hard on his lip. He'd never expected to hear those words.