Rose Gold

Day two of waking up next to Cason and I still wasn’t used to it. I enjoyed his company, but the concept seemed weird. This is what married people did or those who had been dating for a few years already? When you have roommates, unless you’re super broke, you don’t usually sleep in the same bed. Still, I appreciated that he was willing to give up almost everything to make me feel better.

Or at least try.

I felt awful that he never truly succeeded, but his dorky grin could keep me sane for at least a little bit. I was embarrassed by it, but it was better to have his face stuck in my head instead of…everything else.

Even once I was fully awake, I still felt like a wet noodle by Cason who was still passed out beside me. I couldn’t remember how I got upstairs, but I doubt it was too important. The boy had a serious bedhead and was twisted up in his pajama shirt, but I understood it—weekend sleeps were a different breed. Still, I realized that this was the first chance I got to stare at him without him turning red and freaking out.

Honestly, he looked like a prince both asleep and awake.

I was too hungover to get out of bed and I had no need to, so I watched Cason sleep until he got up about an hour later. I felt weird laying there for so long so when he got up, I acted asleep, but once he left, I found him in the kitchen a while later. He grinned when he noticed me before pulling a massive bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch out of the ether and handing it to me.

“I’m way too tired to cook,” He laughed after reading my expression.

I nodded and sat down before he joined me with another giant bowl and a glass of water which he handed to me.

“You look hungover.”

I nodded again and we chuckled softly. “As to be expected…” I mumbled.

“Eh, yeah. As long as you’re not nauseous, you’ll probably be good in a few hours or so just by drinking some water.”

I smirked. “You don’t have a fancy, Cason-certified hangover cure for me?”

He rolled his eyes while devouring his cereal like a child. “No, because I never get that drunk to the point where I’d have to make up one.”

“Not even in college?”

He sighed, blushing. “More often than not, I was the designated driver since I was the level-headed one when compared to my drunk friends, 

“Cason? Level-headed?” I laughed and he lightly kicked me under the table.

“I can be normal when the situation calls for it.”

I couldn’t finish the whole bowl so when Cason was finished, I gave him mine. He had a point though. Despite never getting any action, he prioritized getting us home that Wednesday since it was a weeknight, and we were in public. Meanwhile, I never considered any of that.

“Good to know.” I drank the rest of my water as Cason managed to continue eating. He eventually cleaned up and took the dishes to the kitchen as I checked my phone for the hundredth time. Once again, we woke up right on the cusp of breakfast and lunch. I missed naturally waking up early, but my emotional exhaustion had ruined that for the time being. While Cason started on what I assumed were his Saturday chores, I got washed up and tried to make myself look less…hungover. 

And depressed. 

And like a zombie.

By then it was late afternoon, but Cason still seemed busy with his own internal to-do list. Meanwhile, aside from continuing to fight with my insurance company, it had been a minute since I’d visited my mom. She at least deserved to know the situation and why I might end up going a-wall for a while longer since she was the only family member who listened to me more than half the time.

It depended on the day, but my brain at least still classified her as a parent. She may be a nutcase, but she at least gave a shit about one of her kids.

If I had to guess, she liked me for the same reason my dad hated me—I was the least like him and my brothers. Hell, I was nothing like his whole side of the family, and she and I understandably considered that a blessing.

Nonetheless, I normally brought her snacks which were still in the trunk of my car since it was cold enough to leave anything in there, whether or not it required refrigeration. 

I grabbed my car keys out of my work bag, but despite it being a week already, it always made my stomach drop. My spare office key also had my spare house and car keys, and seeing the little house key next to the others was still disheartening. Yet, the idea of removing it from the keyring only made me feel worse.

“Hey, I’ll be back,” I yelled, hoping Cason could hear me over the music he was blasting. As I opened the front door, he slid into the living room out of nowhere, his hands covered in soap suds.

“What? Where are you going?!” He asked frantically.

“Uh…to run an errand.” I watched the water dripping from his hands onto the hardwood. “I won’t be long. And you seem busy so—”

“What? No!” He laughed, wiping his soaking hands on his pajama pants. “I’m not busy!”

“Cason—”

He darted up the stairs. “I’ll only be a minute! Wait for me.” He yelled from the other floor as I sighed and walked into the kitchen, turning off the faucet that he left running. In a few minutes, he returned to the living room in jeans and a graphic tee with another shirt underneath. He had yet to do his hair as he sat on the landing and tied up his bright yellow converse that matched with nothing he was wearing, but he looked so excited. 

He jumped up from the steps and threw his coat on. “Okay! Ready! Where are we going?”

I rubbed the back of my neck as we left the house and walked over to my spot. “Um…my mom’s.”

The boy stared at me wide-eyed before entering the car. “Your mom’s?”

I laughed awkwardly and sat down as Cason continued to stare at me, looking mildly terrified while waiting for more details.

“You seemed like you were having more fun washing dishes and I doubt you really wanted to come along for…this.”

He shrugged with a slight smile as I started up the car. “You’re not wrong, but I thought our plan was to hang out today. That’s what we talked about last night.”

I blinked.

“Y’know…” He gestured oddly with his hand as his face turned red. “Man, I guess you really did drink too much,” He mumbled with a sigh.

“Y-Yeah. Sorry about that. Like, seriously.”

“It’s okay,” He said softly while strapping himself in. “It’s not like you did anything wrong.”

I shrugged. “Yeah…but it ethically felt wrong. I mean,” I pulled out of the parking space. “I can recall a little bit of everything, but it all felt like a fever dream.”

“Figures.”

I glanced at him. “Did I miss anything important?” I asked worryingly as Cason flashed me a smile, but I could tell he was hiding what he really felt and was about to make something up.

“Not really.” He patted his lap to the song on the radio.

When we pulled up to a stoplight, I looked at him, gripping the steering wheel. “Cason.”

He glanced over. “W-What?”

“If you’re mad at me, just say so. It doesn’t matter how embarrassing it is—I just wanna know so I can apologize even though I don’t think I could ever forgive myself if I did something to you—”

“What are you talking about?” He gave me a lopsided grin and his blush increased. “You didn’t do anything wrong—I’m serious. The only important thing is that you promised you’d…try and talk to me more. Like, share the spotlight.” He chuckled. “Since I always make a fool out of myself whenever I talk to you. It’s only fair.”

I raised an eyebrow and kept driving.

“You promised you’d try and open up, is all.” Cason clarified, contorting his hands in a weird way while trying to explain himself.

“Ew,” I muttered, but he heard me and let out a snort, profusely blushing afterward.

“Did you say ew?!”

“N-No!” I glanced at him, grinning. “Shut up! It was in the song!”

He nudged me. “It was not!”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah…” I sighed, smiling a little. “I just…hate that kind of shit.”

“I know—you think you’re not worth help, even if the help is just someone listening to you.”

I felt my face burn up.

Yeah, that rang a bell.

Honestly, I don’t know what’s worse—making a move on Cason when drunk, or opening up to him. I’d done both so far, and they equally made me cringe out of my skin.

“You look like you’re having a revelation.” The boy teased.

I gripped the steering wheel. “Maybe. I dunno.” I focused on the road and tried to take a few inconspicuous deep breaths, but I felt Cason’s eyes on me. After a few minutes of silence, I glanced at him, probably still looking like a mess.

“I can try.” I mumbled.

“Yeah?” He smiled a bit.

“Yeah.”

I was sure he’d regret having me promise something so unpredictable. Expressing emotions was already hard enough for me, but explaining them was significant since to this day, I still didn’t know how. Practice makes perfect, but it felt like a waste of time, so I never even gave it a second thought. 

“And hey,” He placed his hand on my leg for a few seconds. “I’m not gonna judge you for anything you might consider weird or embarrassing. That’s like, my whole life. I may not completely relate to the situation or story, but I can try to understand it regardless.”

He flashed me a comforting smile when I looked at him, and I couldn’t help but return the expression a bit. 

For once, those words made me feel warm.

Occasionally, Matthew would say similar things, but they only ever made me more anxious due to the fear of whether he was being genuine or not. Nine times out of ten, he wasn’t. Or if he was, it wasn’t obvious. Given his actions, he probably has just as many problems as me and his evident emotional constipation regarding important shit definitely means he shouldn’t be trying to give me advice on anything. 

We were on the same sinking ship with no life vests.

I’m sure he wants us to go down together since misery loves company but hey, at least I have a pink-haired ray of sunshine coming to my rescue in a lifeboat. It’s surprising, but I’ll take the win.

Despite how wary Cason seemed of my mother—for understandable reasons—I could still tell he was excited to hang out with me. It didn’t take long to get to my mom’s place but Cason gave me a weird look after I pulled into a spot and turned the car off.

“I thought she lived in like…a shanty apartment. Or maybe that’s what I was imagining.”

I chuckled. “No, yeah. She used to. In recent years we got her into rehab, and afterwards I finally found an assisted living facility that would house her despite her age.”

He blinked. “Oh. You never told me that.”

“You…never asked.” I smiled a little.

As we got out of the car, he squinted at me. “But if I had, would you have told me the truth?”

I shrugged. “Probably. It’s technically good news. She’s only in her late fifties but most definitely cannot be left to her own devices.” I popped open the trunk and grabbed the few reusable bags I had of snacks. Cason ran over to help and picked up the last one.

“Well, yeah! It’s really good they took her in then. Does she like it?”

I laughed as we walked across the parking lot and into the large building which almost resembled a hotel, only with more branches. “Depends on the day. But usually, yes.”

We checked in at the counter and even if it had been a minute, the receptionist still recognized me. Though he stood awkwardly beside me, Cason still had a giant smile plastered across his face. Maybe he was just happy to be doing something different this Saturday.

“Oh, Mr. Tobias!” The woman beamed and tightened her headscarf. “It’s a pleasure to see you! How have you been?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Eh, nothing to write home about.” I chuckled. “How about you? Any old folks try to escape after eight again?”

She exhaled. “Thankfully, no. We’ve had a nice calm streak, knock on wood! Lord knows we needed one…”

“I know right.”

She leaned to the side in her chair. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh!” The pink-haired boy lit up. “I’m Cason! Just along for the ride.” He lifted up one of the bags to show her. “He helped me with my errands last weekend so I’m returning the favor!”

“Well, isn’t that sweet.” She adjusted her glasses. “I’m just glad to see Mr. Tobias with company for once.” She quickly raised her eyebrows as my face heated up. “Anyway, your mom’s up in her room.”

We thanked her before continuing down the hall to the stairs. Cason examined all the rooms and mini living spaces such as the pool table or the makeshift café on our way to my mom’s room at the end of the hall. Like usual, her door was cracked since she enjoyed eavesdropping on whatever was going on outside. Still, I knocked first before entering to see her watching TV on her small sofa.

She glanced over with a smug grin. “Well, look who decided to show up.”

I laughed awkwardly as Cason and I placed the bags down on the kitchen counter. Her brown hair was tied up into a messy bun which was probably organized before she laid down on the couch. For as long as she had been my mom, she despised messy buns. She claimed the miscellaneous hair strands made her think she was being attacked by bugs.

I walked over and gave her a hug. “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry. It’s been a bit…hectic recently.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’re telling the truth since you look half-dead and all.” She laughed and I rubbed my face.

“S-Still?” I may have freshly shaved but there was no hiding the eye bags.

She stood up and grabbed my face, inspecting me. “Mhmmmm.”

“He normally looks better!” Cason chimed in, smiling a little. “He’s just still a bit hungover.” He glanced at me. “I think.”

My mom immediately let me go, fascinated by Cason. “Oh, and who are you? Are you one of the new nurses?”

The boy examined himself, laughing. “Um, I don’t think so!”

She ran over and grabbed his face, which made us both turn red. “Mom!”

“Oh, shush Toby.” She glanced at me. “You’re awfully cute. Do I know you from somewhere or something? I’m bad at remembering faces.” She snickered and eventually let him go but proceeded to investigate his rose-gold hair as he stood there frozen. “If I had to guess, you’re a bartender from my drinking days.” She mushed his cheeks. “Your face screams Maryland. Are you from Maryland?”

Cason smiled awkwardly, staring at me for a second but all I could do was shrug while trying to hide my blush.

“H-How does my face scream…? N-No.” He laughed. “I’m—”

“He’s from here.” I walked over and pulled my mom away from him. “He’s a photographer. We’re friends.”

“Yeah! I’m Cason.” He beamed as I started fixing his hair.

She shook his hand. “Tabatha. Though, everyone around here calls me Tabby.”

He smiled at me. “That’s similar to Tobias!”

I avoided his gaze and patted his head before walking behind the counter. I started putting away her favorite foods that I had bought as she looked back and forth between Cason and I.

“Yep! He’s the one son I named.” She stated proudly. 

“As you should! You carried him around for nine months! And delivered him!” The boy laughed.

“Actually,” She began as I tried to hide myself in the cabinet while cleaning up. “He was breached! They really just cut him out of me, but yep—he’s still mine alright!”

Cason turned to me and pointed. “Ha! You were evicted!”

“S-Shush,” I muttered.

My mom glared at me. “Hm, and you two are friends?”

“Yes? Am I not allowed to have friends?” I asked as Cason rocked back and forth on his heels with his jacket in his hands.

“Well,” She snickered. “He’s just so cute! And normal!”

“He is not normal!”

“Hey!” Cason yelled, scrunching up his nose.

“Calm down! It’s a good thing!”

She smiled at him. “He’s paying you, right? He’s Tobias—he must be.”

“W-What?” Cason asked as I rolled my eyes, trying to reorganize the kitchen which the aides always seemed to obliterate somehow.

“This is the first time I’ve seen him visit me with someone. Even when he was a kid, he never brought people home!” My mom sat back down on the couch and Cason followed her. “He’s just such a grump and you’re so—” She poked his face. “Not!”

He giggled and glanced at me. “He’s not all bad! He’s hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Like a Skittle, maybe. Everyone else is missing out.”

I tried my best to ignore their conversation, but I was afraid my mom would irreparably embarrass me. I could make a fool out of myself if Cason wanted me to, but I didn’t want anyone else to have the job. However, I was happy that Cason’s presence made her face light up in such a way. She was usually happy to see me, but, well, who wasn’t ever happy to see Cason?

“Oh, you’re such a sweetheart.” My mom nudged him. “Where the hell has he been hiding you, huh? Are you two work friends or…?” She adjusted her watch. “Well, you said you liked photography.”

“Oh, we’re neighbors, actually! Well, we were neighbors.” He finished softly. 

“Were?”

Cason looked at me from across the room, to which my mom did the same as I stood there trying to find something to do with my hands. I was done putting everything away and had no reason to be in this corner by the sink, but I hoped I’d somehow be out of earshot.

“Yeah.” Cason gestured his head towards my mom. ‘Tell her,’ He mouthed.

I folded up the bags, avoiding their gaze. “I was in a house fire,” I mumbled.

“What?!” She leaned forward. “Why didn’t you fucking lead with that?!”

I tensed up. “I-I dunno.” I muttered.

“Well, fuck, Tobias. Are you okay?”

“I mean, I wound up with a few burns, but they’ve healed already.”

“It happened last Friday.” Cason added quietly.

My mother stared at me, speechless. “That’s part of the reason why I haven’t been around much…” I said softly while trying to ignore the knot in my stomach.

She sighed. “Well, that explains a lot. Hey, come here.”

“I-I’m fine where I am.” I fiddled with my sleeves, flashing a fake smile.

“Tobias.”

“Seriously, Mom. It’s cool.” I leaned on the counter, trying to avoid Cason’s doubtful stares. “It just might be a while until you see me again since, y’know, money troubles and shit.”

“Where the hell are you staying?!” She paused. “Oh God, you aren’t with Dad, are you—?”

I laughed. “God no! I’m staying with your new friend over there.” I gestured towards Cason, and she lit up.

“Oh!” She took a deep breath. “Oh, that’s a relief.” She smiled at him. “You’re really cool with housing this piece of work?” She teased as the pink-haired boy shrugged.

“I like the company!”

“Yeah, but I’m sure with a face like that it wouldn’t be hard to get someone to bunk with you.”

“Mom!” I pinched the bridge of my nose with a groan, quickly noticing Cason’s red ears.

“I don’t know. It feels like quite the contrary.” He said softly.

“Well, damn. Maybe you can use Tobias as a wingman. Put him to work!” She patted his shoulder. “You’re taking care of him, after all!”

He smiled. “Well, yeah.” He played with his jacket. “I don’t mind though. I mean, now that I am taking care of him for the time being, I’m not lonely anymore, which is nice.”

My mom leaned forward, examining me. “I’m sure the same goes for him. Since he finally has a ‘friend’ and all.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Still, above all else, I’m glad you’re safe.” She paused. “Did you come here to ask for money?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “What? No. I’m not…Roman. Or Pierce, for that matter.” I shook my head. “Yeah, I just felt bad cuz I hadn’t seen you in a while and after the…accident…I felt even less motivated to do anything. But then Cason wanted to come along so,” I glanced at him. “I guess we’re making a day of it. I just wanted to give you your—I don’t know—biweekly Tobias update.”

She smiled. “More like monthly now. But it’s better than no Tobias update.”

“Y-Yeah.”

She leaned into Cason. “What about you? What’s your update?”

“M-My update?”

I smiled as Cason started brainstorming while my mom happily watched him configure his thoughts. While she was distracted by him, yet again, I stepped out of the room and ran into her main nurse helping a different senior. She did a double take after seeing me and came to investigate my presence after another aide came to assist.

“Tobias?”

I awkwardly waved. “Yeah, hi.”

“Where on Earth have you been?!” She asked in a loud whisper so as not to disturb anyone else in their rooms. “I’ve been dying to talk to you. Well, I started with Mr. Phillips, your dad—but when I got no response, I tried to contact you.”

I gulped. “Y-Yeah. I was just in an accident—kind of—and everything’s been a mess.”

She took a deep breath. “Are you alright? You look alright, at least.”

I shrugged. “Yeah. But what’s going on with my mom? My brain’s been a bit of a dumpster fire at the moment so—”

The woman leaned in. “You realize your mom is about to be booted out of here, right? While we have a grace period, you’ve missed last month’s payment and as of last week, you’re late for this month as well.”

I froze up. “What?”

“We could give you some more leeway if you had been in contact with us, but we can’t make any exceptions if your side just goes dark…”

I looked around the hall. “What the f…” I trailed off and pulled out my phone, opening my usual banking app. “I know I had the money—for both months, even. I sent my half to my dad as usual but…” I groaned.

Fuck.

No doubt he screwed something up.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket. “Okay, I can sort this out, I promise. I just need a little more time and I promise it won’t happen again—”

“I can give you until the end of this month, tops. You clearly haven’t been aware, but this has already been going on for a while.”

I nodded and rolled up my sleeves in hopes of cooling myself down. “Y-Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I apologize. I’ll get to the bottom of this, preferably before the thirty-first.”

The woman flashed me a smile, but it didn’t distract me from her agitated gaze. Eventually she walked off and I leaned against the wall, sliding onto the floor.

I was lucky enough to find a place that was willing to take care of my mom despite her being young and able-bodied. She was just a little fucked in the head and couldn’t be left to her own devices. She was almost a year sober now, but if they kicked her to the streets, she’d fall right back into her old habits. Sure, she went to rehab, but I knew my mom and I wasn’t willing to risk it.

It was bad enough when they were ready to kick her out of rehab and I had yet to find a place like this yet. Lord knows I couldn’t house her without working from home and babysitting her. And my dad didn’t care at all.

This place was the last idea I had after being rejected by three other facilities. Those few months were already stressful enough and it hadn’t even been that long yet.

Is this how every Saturday was going to be? I hang out with Cason, it starts out great and then boom—all hell breaks loose. Last weekend it was Matthew and now it was whatever the fuck this was. I wasn’t even sure which was worse.

All I knew was that I was tired beyond words.

I just wanted to lay on the ground and cry for a while as someone patted my head and told me everything would be alright. But I didn’t have that as a kid and sure as hell didn’t have it now. I wanted to fall into a little coma—hibernate until the spring—and deal with this in March or April once I was fully rested.

The past year had been a constant downhill battle. Technically, every year had been pretty bad given Matthew’s presence, but it’s like he was antsy now. Months ago, you could tell he was joking but now I know he’s not nowadays. He leveled up from words to actions and I couldn’t take it on top of everything else that was going on.

However, part of me kept thinking that eventually it would help. That his presence would make a positive difference somehow because at least I wasn’t alone.

“What are you doing?”

I flinched and looked up to see Cason standing in front of my mom’s room. He laughed a little bit but as he continued to stare at me, his smile started to fade.

“Sitting.” I looked back at the wall. “I just needed a minute.”

“Oh. Okay.” His eyes washed over me. “Is everything…alright?”

I grew stiff. “More or less.” I glanced at him, thinking about what he brought up in the car or apparently what I promised last night. “Mainly less. I just can’t put it into words right now.”

Cason walked over and leaned down, ruffling my hair. “That’s fair. Well, whenever you do, I’ll be here.” He flashed me a smile. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom though.”

I chuckled. “Alright.” 

Once he had disappeared around the corner, I finally stood up and took a deep breath before returning to my mom’s room. She turned her attention away from the TV as I came in and smiled.

“Does that boy ever run out of words?” She laughed.

“Huh? Oh, Cason?” I shrugged. “Not from what I’ve seen.”

“He’s like a little ball of sunshine!” She beamed. “You should bring him with you again.”

I sat on the stool by the kitchen counter, which was slightly closer to her than before. “Sure.”

“I love him!” She waited for me to match her enthusiasm. “Don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah?” I chuckled awkwardly. “He’s sweet. And yeah, his constant energy is fun to be around.”

“Exactly. He’s ten times better than the people you were around as a kid. And yeah, I know I was barely there, but you could never seem to find your crowd.”

I leaned on my knees, muttering. “I still haven’t.”

“Still, there’s no rule that says you need a whole herd of friends. I think Cason’s perfect. Sure, he’s…a lot, but if you didn’t like that, I’m sure you wouldn’t be staying with him.”

“Yeah…I don’t know.” I stared at the wall. “I don’t really know how to explain it but, he sort of just feels like ‘home.’ And that’s a feeling I’ve never really experienced. It’s probably just because he’s the one person that’s nice to me. I’m sure there’s others out there.”

“Eh, I don’t think it’s all that common.”

I looked up. “Oh.”

She stood up with a stretch. “God, you’re so dense sometimes.”

I rolled my eyes. “What did I even do? It’s not my fuckin’ fault that I’m not aware of most normal human feelings. That’s on you!”

“Watch your mouth!”

“Who cares?!”

She scoffed. “Tobias, if you have a hunch that you might like him, then I think you should just accept it instead of overthinking everything.”

I blushed. “W-What?”

“You’re still gay, right?”

“Um, yeah?”

“I mean,” She shrugged, laughing. “He’s cute. He’s talented. He’s literally taking care of you. He’s pretty much already shown that he’s husband material.”

“Mom!”

“What?!” She walked over to me. “I’m just tellin' it like it is. I don’t know what your type is but based on the way you look at him, I’m sure he checks most of your boxes.” The woman smiled as I stiffened, overheating even more.

She sighed and gave me a stern look. “Tobias, he’s a blessing. And you know I don’t give a shit about God, so if I’m saying some devout shit like that, I mean it.”

“I-I…yeah. He’s got a lot of personality. He’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met, but it’s nice.”

“There aren’t many people like him anymore.” She admitted. “That’s why the world’s kinda ass now.” She rolled her eyes. “But he’s got a big heart and from what it seems, you take up more than half.”

“What?”

She clicked her tongue. “Don’t be stupid—he’s literally housing you. Indefinitely. I mean, when you were doing whatever you were doing, he proceeded to give me his whole life story while also mentioning what’s going on right now.” She placed her hands on her hips, staring me down. “That boy’s not even making you pay rent. I mean, sure, a friend probably wouldn’t make you do that after what you went through but you two haven’t even known each other for that long.”

“Yeah.” I gulped. “I kinda feel bad about it, but he doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Exactly. And even if he did, he probably wouldn’t say anything. I wouldn’t say he’s a people pleaser. But he’s a softie. And given what you’re going through, he’s not gonna ask you for anything and I’ll be damned if I let you take advantage of that.”

“W-What? I’m not—” 

“You need to thank him.”

“I have before! Countless times!”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I mean really thank him. Make him dinner, take him to a movie, hell if I know. He’s practically given you his home so the least you could do is try and make a similar gesture.”

When I stayed quiet, she flung her arms in annoyance, and went back to the couch. “I know I don’t have the right to give you advice, at this point in your life especially, but come on Tobias. Even if you don’t have a thing for him, at least show him that you care about him in the same way he does.”

“I-I just don’t know—”

“You’re a smart boy! You’ll think of something!” She laughed. “And look at Cason! I’m sure he’d be thrilled even if all you did was give him a card.”

I stood up and grabbed our coats. “Do…you think he likes me?”

She side-eyed me. “Is that serious a question?”

I gulped. “N-No.”

“Get outta here and go find your friend. Thanks for coming to see me again.” She gave a slight smile. “I’m sure ninety percent of you never really wants to, but I still appreciate it.”

I chuckled. “Not ninety percent.”

She laughed. “Well, if it ever gets to ninety-nine, feel free to send Cason over here instead. I love that spaz.”

I rolled my eyes on my way out the room. “Don’t call him that. Anyway, I’ll…see you when I see you.”

I made my way back to the first floor where I eventually found Cason in the TV room with a bunch of old folks. Whatever he was talking about had him excited as hell and his audience of seniors seemed to enjoy his presence. When he noticed me standing outside of the doorway, he waved at them all and ran over to me.

“Sorry, I got distracted! Some lady asked about my hair and this super short old guy asked about my shirt and this other guy said his grandson had freckles just like mine and it just went on from there.”

I smiled and handed him his jacket. “Y’know, I’m surprised you don’t have a more social job. Aside from taking the photos, a lot of what you do is independent,” I began on our way out the door. “Meanwhile, you’re clearly good with people.”

He shrugged. “I dunno. I get drained easily. Either that or my anxiety gets in the way. It’s easier only having to impress myself instead of having countless others relying on me.”

“I guess you have a point. You gotta have the right balance.”

He nodded. “And I used to do volunteer work—it comes in phases. I don’t always have the energy for it.” He laughed.

After returning to my car, Cason grinned at me as we pulled off. “I love your mom.”

I snickered. “Yeah?”

“Yeah!” He beamed. “She’s the complete opposite of what I imagined…probably because you’ve been helping her this whole time, but she’s really funny! And you two have the same eye color! Maybe eyes in general because she has long eyelashes too.”

I smiled, my face heating up. “Eh, yeah. I just didn’t expect her to embarrass me so much. Lemme guess—she spilled more beans about me when I was out of the room.”

He shrugged. “Not much, actually. We mainly just…talked about me.” I noticed his ears turn red.

“Well, I’m just happy to know you enjoyed yourself. I was worried it was gonna be weird.” I chuckled.

“Do you have any more errands?”

I glanced at the passing shopping centers and then at the clock on the dash. “Not really.” It was only four, so it wasn’t exactly dinner time yet. Though, maybe that could be good.

“Alright! Then we can just chill at home until dinner. And I have too many favorite restaurants, so it’ll give me time to decide.”

I chuckled. “Actually, um, I have an idea. You said you liked painting, right?”

His face lit up. “Well, it’s been a while but yeah! Why?” 

“There’s this place near my office that I think you might like.”

“Oh?”

I laughed, and noticed how giddy he was becoming. “Yeah. I’ve made the executive decision that it’s gonna be a surprise though.”

“What?! I hate surprises! I mean, I love them, but I also hate them. Just tell me!”

I smirked. “I’m sure you can survive ten minutes.”

“You have very high expectations, sir!”

I laughed as Cason tried to look out the window or at the GPS for clues, even though I hadn’t set a route. Honestly, I didn’t want to do anything or even go to dinner, but I knew if I focused on Cason and nothing else, I wouldn’t lose my mind. I mean, the crush part would drive me insane, but I’d take that over my multiplying issues which were now time sensitive.

We eventually arrived at the strip mall and once I parked the car, Cason ran onto the sidewalk and started pointing at each building, asking if that one was the surprise. I walked ahead of him and opened the door, laughing.

“It’s over here.”

He stared at the exterior and once we were inside, his jaw dropped. “Is this like a pottery place??”

I chuckled. “Er, yeah. I figured it’d be more fun than sitting around at home. And more fun than watercolor painting since you said you sorta grew outta that.”

“Yeah! Wait, do you know how to paint?” He asked as I greeted the woman at the counter, and we investigated the shelves of plain ceramics.

“Not at all.” I snickered. “But I’ll figure it out.” I grabbed a mug as Cason examined all his options.

“Some of these are expensive…” He mumbled.

I shrugged, “Eh, it’s not too bad. Grab whatever you want.”

“You’re paying?”

I surveyed the paint bottles as I grabbed some palettes and a few brushes of different sizes. “Yep.” I smiled at him. 

“But I thought—”

“It’s fine. Promise.” I walked over and ruffled his hair before finding an empty place to sit. Since it was Saturday, it was understandably busy and there were tons of kids, but I didn’t mind. Cason seemed just as excited as them as he grabbed a vase and sat across from me.

He leaned on the table, staring at it. He glanced at me. “What are you gonna paint?” He asked as I handed him his share of brushes.

“Eh…I’m not sure. Maybe some plants? Plants are usually easy.” I laughed. “Or at least they look easy.” The two of us got up and went back to the paint collection. “What about you?”

He smirked. “I’m gonna paint a cat.” He admitted proudly and started grabbing colors. He clearly didn’t need much time to brainstorm. I admired his creative brain.

I grabbed a few shades of pink, green, and blue, before we went back to the table where Cason was already pouring his selection into one of his palettes. Meanwhile, I kept spinning my mug in circles, unsure of where or how to start. I eventually gave up and just started painting the background light blue, though I quickly realized it was the same shade as Cason’s eyes that were focused intently on his vase. 

He had a photo of some cat pulled up on his phone as he started sketching onto the clay, whereas I was fighting for my life while trying to paint some clouds. Still, in the same way I enjoyed watching him take photos of me, I loved seeing him indulging in his hobbies. Maybe painting wasn’t much of his thing these days, but I could tell he was still having a good time.

“Is that a specific cat?”

He glanced up as he eventually finished drawing and grabbed one of the paintbrushes. “Yeah, it’s my nana’s cat, Pinecone.”

“Her cat’s named Pinecone?!”

He laughed. “We call him Pine for short! He’s the weirdest cat ever, so I figured I would draw him weirdly on this vase.” He turned the pottery around and revealed the oddly warped sketch of the cat, as if it were looking through a vase made of glass. I had no idea how he would pull that off.

“Wow. Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

He chuckled. “Eh, yeah. Especially since I’m not really good at drawing animals.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’re Cason, after all.”

He rolled his eyes, blushing. “What are you painting?”

“Right now? Very warped clouds…” I smirked.

“I mean, that’s how clouds are, so I don’t think you can really mess that up.”

“We’ll see,” I laughed and kept trying to fix them, but eventually I gave up and moved on to painting some bushes. However, I was more distracted by watching Cason paint. He was completely in the zone, despite the screaming children and music playing overhead.

“Hey,” I began and he glanced up.

“Hm?”

“Um, thank you for this past week.” I felt my face heat up as I stared at my mug. “I really don’t know where I’d be without you right now.”

“Oh.” He blushed. “You don’t have to thank me!” He laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah, but I want to. I’m serious. My mom’s kinda right…about me being a piece of work and all…” I mumbled. “And yet you’ve continued to take care of me and keep me company, even when I’m drunk or mopey or—I don’t know—panicking? Inconsolable? A-Anyway, you’ve been doing a lot for me, so I figured I’d try and do something for you for once.”

“Oh.” His blush spread to his ears, and he smiled.

I looked around. “I-I mean, I know it’s not a lot. I’ll eventually think of something better but—”

“What?” He laughed. “I like this! You don’t need to like, buy me a yacht or something!” He leaned on his hands and smeared some paint onto his face. “Trust me, you hit the nail on the head.”

“Really?”

He glanced at some of the people walking around. “Yeah, dude! You took an artsy guy to an artsy place, that’s easy as hell. I’m not picky. And also, I just like hanging out with you.” He admitted with a dorky grin. 

“But still,” He continued painting. “Thank you. My brothers always say that I give too much to people who would never do the same…so it’s nice to know you’re not one of them. I mean,” He looked up. “E-Even if you were, I’d still help you out.”

“But then you’d end up being mopey too.”

He snickered. “Yeah.”

“I mean, friendships are supposed to be balanced. I just needed some brain space and some goddamn free time for once.”

“Was this part of your plan today?”

I blushed. “N-Not really. I mean, I wanted to find something else to do with you just like last weekend, but, well, my head’s still a mess. No surprise there. Still, being with you removes some of the fog since it’s no longer the same ol’ same ol’ but…” I laughed awkwardly. “I’m still Tobias. I can’t escape it.”

Cason frowned. “Is that why you were sitting in the hallway earlier?”

I continued painting my mug, trying to brainstorm other stuff to add. “…Yeah.”

“Are you okay now?”

I held the paint brush tighter. “No.” I glanced at him. “A lot of my money goes towards my mom’s care since she blew all of hers. After enough convincing, I got my dad on board, so we split the monthly payment for her staying there, but I don’t think…he’s been giving my money to them. Or his own, for that matter.”

Cason gave me a weird look.

“The manager told me I’d missed the last two payments and couldn’t get in contact with me or my dad since I’ve been all over the place. So, if I don’t find the money or figure out what the hell’s been going on, my mom’s gonna get kicked out of the only place that was willing to take her in.”

“Holy shit.”

“And it’s not like I knew that when I planned to visit her today! They just sprung that shit on me! I-I mean,” I sighed. “I guess I should’ve been paying more attention—”

“Well, it doesn’t sound like it’s your fault. Your dad obviously hasn’t been paying them with his own money or the half you give him.”

I swallowed heavily. “It was the one responsibility that I gave him. It’s bad enough that my brothers don’t care, but I assumed he would give a shit about his wife a little bit, y’know? But he clearly doesn’t care about what happens to her. A-And I kinda get it, but at the same time, we’ve found a way to help her and yet he’d rather pretend she doesn’t exist.”

“W-Wait, so what are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know!” I yelled, immediately tensing up as a few people looked at me. “I’ll probably call him sometime today.” I continued softly. “Call him, email him, text him—everything. It’s bad enough that so much of my paycheck goes towards her care, but now I’ve learned that I have no idea where that money is going! He’s just been taking it and using it for God knows what…” I trailed off as Cason gave me an anxious look.

I focused back on my mug and switched to the darker shade of blue as I started painting some tiny berries, just for more color.

“I-It’s just one thing after another…and I’m tired.” I mumbled as I felt Cason’s foot against me under the table. “I don’t even know what I’m fucking doing anymore.”

“I’m so sorry that you’re being subjected to all of this,” He sighed. “If worst comes to worst, I can house your mom too—”

“No. I’m enough. I already hate having to deal with this shit but the last thing I want is to get you stuck in the middle of it all.”

Cason nodded slowly and stared back at his vase, unsure of what to say.

“At this point, whatever happens, happens. That goes for work, family, my non-existent house, and anything else I can’t name at the moment.” I took a deep breath. “I know I can’t control or fix everything, yeah, but it’s all exhausting me. Sure, problems arise but it’s draining being aware of them all yet being unable to make a genuine difference. I don’t know.”

“I get what you mean,” Cason said quietly. “No one likes learning about problems that have no realistic or at least quick fixes.” He chuckled. “Like global warming. I’m convinced the planet will die before I even get to retire and we can all use reusable bags and paper straws and recycle more, but that won’t do shit when there’s still countless companies who don’t give a shit about the environment and will do whatever it takes to make bank.”

I smiled a little. “Ugh, yeah…”

“It’s literally why I can’t watch the news anymore.”

“Yeah, like my life is already bad enough as is. The last thing I need is to dwell on more fucked-up stuff.” I laughed softly. “I’m just…gonna try and ignore it all for right now. I refuse to let another Saturday go to shit.”

“Last Saturday was bad?”

I stared at his freckles. “When I wasn’t with you, yeah.”

I washed the paint off my brush and poured some pink paint on the palette. I liked blackberries, Cason reminded me of strawberries, and they both grew on bushes. I felt extremely proud as I started adding more color.

“Oh, like when you were with Matthew.”

“Mhm…”

“Are you two like rivals or something? I still don’t understand his vibe.”

“Neither do I.” I laughed. “And I’ve been working with him for the past two years.”

“Damn.”

“A-Anyway, the last thing I need on my mind is him too.” I sighed. “I just…wanna badly paint my mug and watch you paint…Pinecone.” I smirked and Cason returned the expression.

“We can always do this again!” He gasped. “Banger idea, actually! We should plan something cool to do every Saturday. To prevent the ‘same ol’ same ol’ blues,’” He laughed.

“Yeah…”

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.”

“I mean, given all the shit you do for me during the week, we can do whatever you want.”

He rolled his eyes. “Nah, we should compromise on something! I don’t wanna end up boring you. That defeats the point.”

“I suppose…”

“We can brainstorm throughout the week!” He beamed and continued his vase.

Given that my mug was smaller and simpler, I finished earlier than him, but I used it as an excuse to try shading and adding some extra details so it wouldn’t look like a first grader did it. When Cason finished painting Pinecone, he added various shades of yellow and after a while, I realized it was the same color as his living room. If he put it on display, it would almost look like a real glass vase. I had no goddamn idea how he was able to replicate glass on a white, opaque ceramic, but it was cool to watch.

He had many hidden talents. Yes, he was a good photographer, but he was an excellent painter, had a keen eye for interior design based on all the rooms in his house, and he was a decent singer too. I was curious about what else he had hidden up his sleeves.

“Are you done?” He looked up.

“Huh? Oh, kind of.”

“Lemme see, lemme see!” He begged as I rotated the mug for him. “Berry bushes?”

I snickered. “Y-Yeah. I also tried to add a fence behind them. So, uh, fenced-in berry bushes. But yeah! You can tell!” I blushed. “That’s good!”

“Yeah! Are they specific berries though? Some look like strawberries or raspberries, and some look like blueberries.”

“Oh, the bluish ones are blackberries. I couldn’t get the colors right.” I laughed. “And then strawberries, yeah. Anyway, how’s your cat going?”

He turned his vase. “Pretty damn good, I’d say.” He scratched his nose, leaving more paint on his face. “I kinda have a hand cramp so I think I’ll stop now. I’m satisfied.”

“I’ll say. That looks awesome.” I stood up as Cason started cleaning up the brushes and bottles. I took our masterpieces to the tray by the front and wrote our names on the bottom so we could come back once they were out of the kiln. Although they were technically unfinished, I still snapped a photo on my phone. I was pretty fuckin’ proud of my berry bushes and fences. The clouds, not so much, but it’s fine.

I returned to Cason after paying, who had already cleaned up the table and washed his hands, but now that I was closer to him, I couldn’t help but laugh when I noticed all the random colors on his face.

“What?”

I grinned. “Nothin.’” I rolled up my sleeves and walked to the sink. “You’re just cute, is all.”

“What?!” He laughed. “Where did that come from??”

“What? My mom called you cute like ten times. Is it really that weird if I do it?” I glanced back at him with a smirk.

“W-Well—” He turned red. “It was just super random, is all.”

After drying my hands, I pulled my phone back out and snapped a photo of his paint covered face while he was focusing on putting his jacket back on. I wet a paper towel and walked over to him.

“Okay, stand still.”

“Hm? Why?” He immediately laughed when I started cleaning his face. “What are you doing?”

“You’re covered in paint. It’s fuckin hilarious but I don’t want anyone on the street to see you and think you’re a crazy person cuz of it.”

He snickered, unsure where to look since I was all up in his face. “T-Thanks. The same thing would happen when I was a kid too. Is that why you called me cute?!”

“Kinda.” I finished wiping off the miscellaneous paint smears. “You looked adorable all covered in paint with your giant grin, oblivious.”

He rolled his eyes, smiling.

“Hey, I’m just happy you’re happy.”

The boy laughed and wrapped his arms around me, catching me off guard by the sudden gesture. It was only when we were standing that I noticed how short he was in comparison, especially when he hugged me. He’d lean into my neck which gave me a waft of his shampoo and I couldn’t pinpoint the scent, but I liked it nonetheless.

I felt my face burn up as I returned the gesture but even though there were countless other people in here and some of the kids were looking at us, I didn’t really wanna let go. He gave good hugs, and I couldn’t lie—it was nice being held.

“Thank you.” He said softly, somehow leaning into me further. “For this.”

“Painting?” I laughed awkwardly.

“And hanging out with me.”

I let go. “You don’t have to thank me for that.”

He shrugged as we left the building. While it wasn’t a long walk back to the car, he grabbed my hand again, just like last weekend. “Yeah, but I know you’re busy and you seem to like your alone time.”

“I guess.” I pulled out my keys and unlocked the car.

Once we were inside, I had Cason put whatever restaurant he wanted to go to into the GPS, and it wasn’t until we arrived and were seated that I realized how this whole day felt like a date. Hell, I had him meet my mom. I didn’t think much of it, but it all seemed like it could be some scene from a movie, and it wasn’t until we got home that I learned Cason felt the same way. 

We were both stuffed and since we got dessert on top of the giant entrees, we ended up with a few takeout containers. Cason was buzzed on some fruity cocktail, and it wasn’t too obvious, but he wouldn’t stop giggling over everything. 

I didn’t mind—hell, I found it adorable—and so did our waitress. I had yet to be with him when he was around other people, but he managed to befriend the family beside us, and all the people who came to our table that evening. He really was a ray of sunshine, and even though I never had much to contribute to his random conversations with strangers, seeing him excited made my whole night. His smile was contagious.

I thought last Saturday was good, but today was amazing. 

I finally felt a little more human.

Cason told me more of his weird yet enlightening stories from childhood, and eventually went in-depth about the shit he did in college. I felt pretty well-rounded, but Cason had experience in almost everything. Though, when you go in without having a plan for your future, you’ll end up trying a lot of things.

Once we got home, I placed our bag on the end table, amused as Cason continued laughing about God knows what. From the angle we were at, I noticed he still had a spot of light brown paint on his chin, but I’m sure everyone else just thought it was another freckle.

“Okay, I know we were just hanging out and all, but our ‘hangout’ has surpassed every date I’ve ever been on. Like, real shit.”

I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “You’re kidding.”

I gave him my jacket and he hung it in the closet along with his own. “I’m serious. I don’t even think it’s because of anything we did—it’s just that I had fun. And that I wasn’t second-guessing every word that came out of my mouth.”

“So, in other words, you were paranoid about being yourself on dates?”

He blushed and leaned on the closet door for a second. “Huh…yeah.” He snickered. “Man, that’s embarrassing.”

“Well, I’m glad that you feel comfortable around me. I mean, having to walk on eggshells around someone who’s living with you doesn’t sound all too great.”

He chuckled. “Yeah.”

“I’m glad my presence doesn’t stop you from having concerts in the kitchen. Or in the shower.”

“Me too, honestly!” He stood by the steps after kicking off his shoes. “It’s just funny cuz even though we were just chilling, it feels like you’ve—I don’t know—walked me home after some fancy date. And then you’ll hail a cab and go home. Y’know, like in Sex and the City!”

“You watch Sex and the City?”

“You don’t?” He laughed. “It’s hilarious!”

“You think it maybe gave you unrealistic dating expectations?” I teased.

“No!” He scrunched up his nose. “My only expectation is for someone to like me for me.” He paused. “Well, actually yeah. By now it’s starting to feel a little unrealistic, but eh.”

“Goddamn.”

He shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Well, it would be nice if I could hail a cab home to complete your…fantasy?” I laughed. “But I live here now. Temporarily. You want me to walk you up to your room? Like it’s your apartment or something?”

“Yes!”

I snickered. “I was joking, but okay!” I followed him up the steps. “I mean, you’re not even wearing shoes anymore, so I don’t think—”

“It’s fine!” He glanced back at me. “I can pretend that, you know, this is my first real date in like a year or so.” When we got to the second floor, he leaned against the doorframe to his bedroom. 

“Seriously?”

He shrugged. “Kinda. Yeah. I’m not really that pressed anymore. It’s not like my life doesn’t have meaning.” He laughed. “But I can’t lie, I’d kill to be walked home and kissed goodnight after a romantic outing with some hot guy. Unless shit like that really is just saved for chicks like in the show.”

I rolled my eyes. 

“Like, am I just supposed to dap him up? Dude, I can’t even be gay right!”

I laughed. “Calm down. You’re fine. I mean, your whole vibe screams hopeless romantic right now, but it’s not unattainable.”

“I guess…”

I smirked as he played with his sleeves. “You want me to kiss you goodnight? To complete your fantasy?”

“I-It’s not a fantasy! At least I think…a-and no!” He turned red, laughing. “Like, what?!”

“What?” I shrugged. “I’ve already walked you up the imaginary porch steps to your imaginary apartment. I might as well play the full role, huh?”

“Shut up.” He shoved me lightly. 

“Hey, man, I’m just tryna help!” I teased, snickering as his blush spread to his ears.

“You don’t need to kiss me.” He rolled his eyes with a grin. “I’ll survive. It’s not life or death.”

“You sure? You seem pretty set on ending your night like Carrie Bradshaw.”

“You say you haven’t watched the show, but you know her name!”

I scoffed. “She’s the main character!!”

“You’re allowed to admit you like romcoms. We’re all adults here.”

“Shush! I haven’t actually watched it, I’m serious! I have nothing against it, though.” I smirked. “It’s just cute that you like it. You could replace Stanley, Charlotte’s gay friend.”

“Oh my God! You have watched it! You’re literally making references!”

“Shut up!” I felt my face heat up. “Keep running your mouth and you’ll never get that kiss goodnight.”

He snorted. “I don’t want one! Go home!” He pointed to the guest room. “To your imaginary apartment!”

I clicked my tongue. “Damn. Harsh. You’re definitely gonna be featured in my column.”

Cason jumped up and down, now pointing at me. “References! More references!!”

I shrugged with a smirk. “Lucky guess?”

“Yeah, right!” He sighed with his hands on his hips. “You’re a terrible imaginary date.”

“Sorry, it’s my first day. Feel free to send any notes you have to the suggestion box.”

He grinned. “And where the hell is that?” He shooed me away. “Get off my imaginary porch! I have an early start tomorrow,” He joked.

“Ah, so I’m not allowed to come up?”

He started laughing again. “To what? Have imaginary foreplay? That makes even less sense than an imaginary kiss!”

I grinned with my arms crossed, watching as his face grew progressively redder. Frankly, I didn’t want the night to end. I was afraid the moment he was out of my sight, shit would come crashing down again. When he finally relaxed, I combed my fingers through his hair, noticing a bit of blue paint on one of the strands.

“Then go on and pick your poison,” I joked. “Fine… Last chance though, you sure you don’t want an imaginary kiss?”

He squinted. “I-Is there a significant difference between ‘imaginary’ and ‘real’ in this scenario? You’re confusing the shit out of me!”

I shrugged, smirking. “It’d be a shame if I spoiled it for you.”

“Whatever! Stop teasing me!” He moved my hand out of his hair, but all I did was laugh and place my other one there.

“C’mon! You said you kinda like surprises, right? Just close your eyes—I promise I don’t bite.”

Cason gave me a weird look. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re still joking.”

“I mean, if you want me to be, sure. If not, I’ll happily play into your hands.” I shrugged, fiddling with a strand of his hair that had a bit more blond showing than the others.

He stared at me for a while, attempting to process the whole conversation. “Play into my hands? Yeah, right!”

I slid my hand down his face, resting it on his cheek. “Don’t be stubborn.”

He rolled his eyes, mumbling. “I’m not. I’m just Cason. And Cason overthinks everything.” He laughed softly but slowly froze up after I rubbed my thumb against his bottom lip, parting them slightly. “I-I kinda forgot how we even got to this point.” He muttered to himself. “Not that I care…” He went on, eventually looking back at me as I smiled.

“So?”

“S-So?” He repeated. “What the hell are you asking me for? I honestly can’t tell if you’re more determined to kiss me or embarrass the shit the shit outta me.”

“I just don’t want you to get mad!” I snickered. “I’m not the bad guy here.”

“Mad? Why would I be mad? At this point, it’s the joke’s fault—shit won’t die. But it’d probably be a funny story to tell especially since my inner-Cason is doing cartwheels, which is—”

I leaned down and cut him off, finally pressing my lips against his. He let out a small gasp which made me smile into the kiss, especially as he got on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around me. I could tell that he was nervous but that only increased the butterflies in my gut as I felt his hands tremble against me.

I pushed him against the doorframe, lifting him slightly so he wouldn’t have to strain himself as much and instead could concentrate on trying to kiss me back. I hadn’t kissed him since the first night we hung out and although I was drunk and all my senses were heightened, this felt significantly better. I could finally think, as if much thinking was required. All I could really focus on was following the rhythm of his lips on mine until I leaned back so he could breathe.

“Wow.”

I smirked and he returned the expression. “You’re cute.”

“I-I did not think you were serious.” He mumbled.

I laughed awkwardly, unable to avert my gaze from his bright red face. I continued to fool with his hair, and honestly, the ability to return to my house would be a blessing right now. If I ran into him before the end of night, I don’t know what I’d say or what I’d do, especially since all I could think about was kissing him again. Still, I tried to convince myself that once was enough.

Cason rocked on his heels, leaning into my hand a bit while he stared to the side. “W-Well, thanks again. For today.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m glad you wanted to come along. And it’s nice that we made a day of it.”

“Errands are always better with company,” He laughed softly. “Anyway, I think I should finally take a shower. Now that you’re done bothering me…right?”

I snickered, pulling my hand back. “If you want me to be, sure. But bothering? Seriously?”

He rolled his eyes, although I continued to gaze at him until he waved me away and I finally went downstairs. It was all so clever and stupid, but now I couldn’t get him out of my head. That was usually the case and it never annoyed me, but all I could do for the time-being was sit on the basement couch with my knee bouncing on the floor. 

I had no excuse this time.

And playing into his adorable TV show fantasy wasn’t entirely believable. Still, it surely made up for enduring Matthew’s bullshit last Saturday and all this week.