• One Lifestand [BxB] •

27

[NOT EDITED YET, PLEASE POINT OUT ANY ERRORS]

Zale's PoV:

I couldn't get the nagging unease off me, neither yesterday nor today- Mario's distant behavior is constantly bugging me, more and more details showing up, that just don't add up in the end. If it really was the money theft like I had suspected, why would he have been acting so tense when I merely mentioned it? It should've been bothering him long before my comment...

So it must've been something else. But what? One moment he was fine and gentle and the next he is cold and distant.
I don't remember doing anything in between, and knowing Mario's character I highly doubt it's got anything to do with my breakdown the other night- if anything, that probably just made him more sensitive to my emotions and surroundings.

With a pounding head and dark circles, rivaling a panda's, I get off the bed and walk over to the massive glass panels, that allow me to overlook New York in it's very own charm. Although it's still only early afternoon, the sky is already fairly dark, additional clouds making the already dark sky let through even less light than usual for this time of the year and day. The bright green, red and white-yellowish colors of the many Christmas decorations illuminate the buildings and streets that I can see from my spot, leaving me in a state of welcomed serenity.

No matter all the problems and uncertain things in my life going on right now, these mesmerizing views always leave a feeling of 'it's gonna be okay' in the back of my mind, calming me down considerably.

Feeling a little bit lighter after the initial flow of dark emotions, I decide to give Mario a little space, just like he had requested yesterday, and instead visit my apartment again for a change and to get a new set of clothes, plus check up on the mail that must've piled up in the last couple of days.

Determined in todays plans I bustle about in my room, a nice winter morning playlist playing from the speakers to keep my thoughts in their positive state. Going from getting ready and choosing a nice and cozy outfit to packing some of the clothes that I'm going to change for new ones later, I hum the tunes in beat with the songs that Spotify graces me with.
Content with my work I grin in the mirror, blazing my freshly brushed white teeth, and swing my favorite velvet colored wool scarf over my otherwise gray outfit, and put the thin black beanie that I have at hand on my head.

Taking my shuffle bag along right away I visit the kitchen first, to let Linda know about my plans and get some coffee to fuel my still slightly exhausted body first, that I currently just decided to ignore in favor of the positive vibes. I'm not going to let Mario's behavior or Elvis' threads going to ruin this unexpectedly good day of mine today!

"Hey sweetie, how're you feeling today? You look a lot better already!" Linda greets me the second I walk through the kitchen doors, her usual lovely smile on her face. I beam back at her, and skip over to the counter where she already starts on my usual daily Cappuccino order (yes, you read that right, I skipped there- like a fucking goof.).

"I'm great, thank you Linda! I think I'm going to my apartment in a bit to exchange some of my clothes. Can't wear the same three sets all the time." I reply, hugging her small frame from behind, like I used to with my grandma. She only chuckles softly, wrapping her own arms over mine in front of her and swaying left and right softly.

We stand there in a comfortably warm silence until the coffee machine announces my Cappuccino ready and I gratefully take the hot cup of heaven in my awaiting hands. Making herself a tea to accompany my coffee, Linda and I sit ourselves on the counter, chatting about little nothings and indulging in our mutual love for the cozy Christmas time that is intensifying day by day.

We kiss each other goodbye on the cheek and I exit the kitchen almost an hour later, the clock reading 11 am already, with a content smile on my face and the shuffle bag in hand. Linda insisted she call Boris to drive me to my apartment since she wouldn't let me get in a strangers cab if not necessary, and me being who I am I just couldn't refuse her insistent tone.