November (ManxMan)

Six

"The recipe says just a pinch of salt." Aizen said, the scepticism loud and clear in his voice.

"The recipe was for a small batch." I said, turning to glare at Aizen. It's Wednesday and it's day three of our lunch hangout. Aizen always comes back to the building at twelve, dressed impeccably as always.

Today he was dressed in a dark red suit, round collar white shirt and shiny watch on his wrist. We were in his kitchen because cooking at home just didn't feel right to me. His jacket was on one of the couches, the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to his elbows. His hair was styled back, loose tendrils falling forward. He looked good.

I don't think I've ever seen someone wear a suit. Like, rock, a suit, like Aizen.

I saw a recipe last night about cupcakes and that was the first thing I told Aizen about when he had come over to knock on my door at noon. It's what we had been doing for three days and it's turning into a habit of sorts.

It goes like this. Aizen would come over, knock, wait while I lock the door and the two of us would take the stairs up to his apartment. For the cupcakes, I had to use ingredients I already had at home to make them.

"If it is more salty than sugary, I am going to flick your forehead." Aizen said, chuckling to him. 

"If it's sweet, you're giving me a piggyback ride downstairs." I said and Aizen narrowed his eyes at me. I giggled, feeling really good about myself. I poured enough mix into the six holes of the cupcake pans and pushed said pan into the already preheated oven.

And to think Aizen was giving me grief after I let him lick the spoonful of batter twice.

"Why would I give you a back ride? Your legs are working, aren't they or are you using an invisible standing chair?" Aizen asked and I was tempted to throw the spoon right at him. He's so tall, I wouldn't miss.

"I am going to smack you."

"Oh ooh. Bold words for someone who couldn't reach the top of his fridge for painkillers." Aizen said and yeah, that's it. I dumped the wooden spoon onto the counter and ran towards Aizen. The other man laughs and runs away. He circled the couch and I glared at him, trying and failing to catch him.

I liked it when Aizen laughed. His cheeks would go up and he'd get these crinkles by his eyes and the sound of his laugh, deep yet soft. Like he couldn't help it. He liked to tease me a lot too. Tease me in a way that I haven't been in a long long time. Just playful and not mean. When he is mean though, I tell him to his face.

I picked up a throw pillow and flung it at him, cheering when it hit him right in the face. Aizen wanted to fling the pillow back at me but I held my hand out in surrender.

"Let's not. I still have to make the icing."

Aizen shakes his head at me and drops the pillow. "I'm making that. You just... sit there and tell me what it is you do."

"Do?" I asked as we walked back over to the kitchen. I hopped onto a clean edge of the counter and watched as Aizen got to work.

"Your job."

"Oh." I said, looking at my hand. Mason didn't think being a sand animator was an actual job and he wasn't the only one either. Even Tommy had laughed when I had told him what I wanted to do. I wondered what Aizen would say if I told him.

"Deri?"

"I'm a sand animator."

Aizen looks away from the butter and icing sugar, staring at me with raised brows. "What? What is that?"

"It's a performance technique thing where an artist tells stories by creating animated images with sand." I said and Aizen nodded along with me like he understood. "I used to work with authors of children's books. They'd do a reading at, like a show or something and I'd create the scenes with sand. Sorry, I'm shit at explaining this. You'll have to see or watch a video to properly understand.

Aizen nods again. He picks up from where he stopped and starts combining icing sugar, butter and milk. "Can you look up a video for me? I'll watch it after I mix this." Aizen said and I nodded.

I typed out a sand animation tutorial in the youtube search bar and some videos popped up.

"You said you used to. Does that mean you don't do your sand animation thing anymore?" Aizen asked and I shrugged. I could tell him Mason doesn't like me doing it. I could tell him Mason had said it was a waste of time but Aizen would give me that blank stare, the same look he always gives me whenever I mention Mason.

"No. There isn't time to." I said, mentally wincing at the lie. It wasn't my best work really and it's not like I even know how to lie. I get jittery and avoid eye contact, so it's not something I like doing. Aizen looks up from the icing and just looks at me.

He stares at me for one, two, three seconds before sighing and looking back down. He knew.

"If your icing sucks, I'm going to shove some in your ears." I said, sticking my tongue out at him.

"It can't suck, Deri. It's pure sugar." Aizen said, raising the spoon at me. I scooted closer and licked at the spoon. It tasted good.

We talked as we waited for the cupcakes. Thirty five minutes later, they were out and we had to leave them out a bit so they could cool. We were about to put the icing on them when Aizen's phone went off. He excused himself and walked away, rolling his eyes at something the person on the other line said.

While he was gone I decorated the cupcakes, putting smiley faces on two, drawing hearts on two and simple swirls on the other. I hum quietly to myself, How You Like That by Blackpink, as I also try to decorate the cupcakes with some dots here and there.

Aizen walks back into the room, pushing his phone back into his pocket. I smiled at him and he just stared at me with a raised brow.

"Want to try my cakes? They smell delicious." I said, picking up one cupcake. The one with the swirls on it.

"If it isn't sweet..."

"Don't mock me, I am very fragile." I teased. Aizen looked away from the cupcakes and looked right at me, his brow had dropped and he leveled me with a blank look. I couldn't tell what it was he was thinking about. Did I say something wrong? Or did I give him the cupcake wrong?

"Deri, you do not know me so I'll tell you a little bit about myself." Aizen said, his gaze not leaving me. "I am not the friendliest of people, I don't like involving myself in other people's life or problems. I am a man who does not care about much, Deri."

I stared at him with wide eyes. There was a tick in his jaw and his eyes were set.

"I asked you that night.  I asked you if you wanted to do something about it, I gave you options and what did you tell me?" Aizen asked.

"I said no."

"I can take some things, Deri but when you start putting yourself down it makes me angry." Aizen said and I took a step back, still staring at him with wide eyes. "Do not make me pity you or I'll do things my own way."

His words sank in and I looked down at my hands. They were balled into fists but they were still shaking. Aizen's words were making me angry. His mood was like the weather, he's sunny one minute, well as sunny as Aizen can be, and the next minute he's sourly as fuck. I already had enough problems I was dealing with and I honestly didn't need another one.

"Listen to me sourpuss. I don't want you to pity me. I don't need you or anyone else to." I said, walking around the kitchen counter so I could get to him. "I told you no that day and I stand by it. Mason is my boyfriend and you . . . you, I thought you were going to be my friend but I don't need this. I already have one bad friend and I don't need another. I already have to tiptoe around Mason and the last thing I want is to get yelled at by someone who I hoped would become a friend. You are a fucking asshole and you can kiss my ass goodbye." I said, glaring at him.

I didn't say another word and instead walked towards the door, not even looking back once.

—
Aizen the sourpuss

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