The Alien Next Door

8 - He seemed pretty good with you

POV: Jake
Despite everything that had happened yesterday, I still went to work last night and am now finally awake and it's only 11am. I'll call that a win for now.

After showering and eating breakfast I decide to go and see Phoenix, I feel bad for not responding to him yesterday but I knew he wouldn't mind. I'll write him a note later and slide it under his door as I leave for work.

"Hey!" He greets me excitedly as I walk into his flat and take my hood down as he closes the door. "Sorry I didn't respond yesterday, I feel so-" I suddenly stop walking when I see someone else walk out of his bedroom. I grab my hood and make a b-line for the door. "Jake wait!" I hear Phoenix shout through his door as I'm clumsily trying to use the keys to open my apartment. I'm still fumbling with them when he comes out into the corridor and takes them from me quietly. "My mums staying for the week, she'd love to meet you properly if you want. Do you need me?" My door is opened and I'm inside it immediately, I shake my head no and watch as he puts the keys down on the kitchen counter and leaves silently.

What is it with me and people?

After collecting myself and recovering from whatever just happened with my body, I decide to send Phoenix a text.
Do you want to both come over for dinner?
Of course x
I have no idea how I will react tonight but I only have a few hours until they arrive and I've got to clean and cook dinner for us all. I'm putting my foot in the door, slowly but surely.

I decide on cooking a broccoli and mushroom stir fry and do a quick panic clean of the whole place. I'm so nervous for this. Phoenix has been the only person I've really spoken to these past few months asides from a few people at work, but adding a whole other person into the mix (let alone his mum!) is very daunting when your people skills suck. Plus she could be my mother in law one day, whoops did I say that out loud?

I hear them knocking at the door just as the food has finished cooking so I quickly check myself out in the mirror and open the door to greet them.

POV: Phoenix
He really has gone all out tonight. He's wearing a plaid button up and black jeans and I'm feeling very underdressed wearing my normal attire of jeans and a t-shirt. Whatever happened to his hoodie eh? My mum is wearing one of her dresses, she's lucky she packed it but wasn't very happy that she didn't exactly have much notice for this dinner tonight. She snuck a bottle of wine out of my cupboard and has brought that with her as a gift for him for making us dinner. I still haven't told her my true feelings for him yet but it's not that obvious anyway so it should be fine.

"This is so delicious Jake! Where did you learn to cook?" She asks as we're eating at his table. It's a tight fit but it's working, he is on my left and my mum is on my right. He looks so nervous and slightly terrified it's almost sad. He really doesn't deserve to have all this fear of people. "I've learnt it all by myself, taken a few online courses here and there. I'm so glad you like it," he smiles widely. I already know he's a good cook and I also consider myself a good cook if I do say so myself, but I have my mum to thank for that. "I taught Phoenix how to cook when he was growing up, couldn't have a wee boy not knowing how to cook?" She laughs. Thanks mum...

Once we had eaten all the food that was left, I offered to clean up but was told I had to go and sit and relax with my mum. I put a movie on for her and got up a few minutes in to go and help Jake. He's definitely calmed down a lot since we first got here but he's still a slight mess and i don't want him smashing anymore glasses.

"It was so nice Jake," I whisper as I motion for him to dry things whilst I take over the washing . He moves over gratefully and I watch as he starts drying the dishes. His hands are shaky so let's hope he doesn't loose grip on anything and let it smash everywhere again. "I've learnt a lot more about you tonight," he whispers after a few minutes of us silently doing our jobs. "Have you really? My mum definitely likes to spill all the beans." We both laugh quietly and I watch my mum as she continues to be engrossed in the movie.

We ended up staying until the movie had ended because my mum was so caught up in it but I got to cuddle Jake whilst we were on the sofa so that's a win. We both thanked him for the lovely meal and left to go back to my place.

As soon as my apartment door was shut a sly smile appeared on my mums face and she asked "what's going on with you two then?"
"Nothing Mum! We haven't spoke about it yet. You could tell he isn't that good with people, I don't want to ruin our friendship because I know he needs me."
"He seemed pretty good with you," she replies before going into my room and quietly shutting the door.

POV: Jake
How I managed to survive that, I'll never know. I don't think I was quite in the room the whole time if I'm honest. But I did it. I finally made conversation with someone and even made them dinner. It's only taken me twenty three years to do it.

I get ready for bed with a smile on my face and I finally feel semi hopeful about the future for once.