Stranger by the Tides [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 35: Slice of the Past

"I SEE MASTER AIDEN'S feeling better," Antonio sets down the plate of scrambled eggs, three slices of bacon, and toast with honey drizzle for breakfast.

"Yes," I reached for the cup of coffee. "It's a good thing too because I was getting worried."

"Hmmm..." he eyed me with a smirk as he took a seat in the opposite direction. "Were there any explicit activities that took place last night? If you don't mind me asking."

I choke on my coffee and felt it coming out of my nose.

"Is it that shocking?" He hands me a napkin.

"What do you mean by explicit?" I blew my nose into the napkin, but it still burns.

"Well," he pulled out his phone. "I woke up at three in the morning to check up on Aiden, and instead, I found this," he shows his phone where a picture of Aiden and I cuddling. My hands circled his chest with his back against my body.

Part of me felt embarrassed because someone not only saw us like that but also took a picture while the other part of me found it humorous that we actually cuddled last night. I remembered having our arms around each other, but it was more of a hugging position. When I woke up this morning, we were sleeping in our own space, so I thought little about it.

"I believe they call this the "spooning" position, am I right?" He took the phone back, looking like a proud blackmailer.

"Did you have to take a picture?"

"Of course," he bit into his slice of bacon. "In a way, I'm doing you a favor."

"A favor?"

"I see how you look at him, Master Corey," he stirs his coffee. "And the fact that you didn't make a big fuss when I exposed the photograph to you proved me right."

I waited for him to finish sipping his coffee.

"You're head over heels for him, aren't you?"

If I wasn't blushing before, I sure am now because the dining room is spinning. I shook off the unpleasant heat warming my body and shoved a whole egg into my mouth, hoping not to speak.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, sire," he said. "Throughout my days, I've never come across anyone who would bring a homeless person from another country and become so protective of them. You're the first-ever, and I'm still astonished by his background."

"I do love him," I played with the yolk using my fork, seeing how long it can survive before it pops. "And I don't know if I should be ashamed or the opposite."

"I see nothing wrong in loving someone."

"There's nothing wrong when a boy loves a girl," I emphasized. "I'm a boy, and I became more than mutual with the same gender."

"And?" He scoffs. "What's wrong with that?"

"You don't get it," the yolk popped and satisfyingly rolled over the toast. I picked up a slice and ate it.

"Au contraire, Master Corey," he reached for his phone once again, meddling around. "I'm about to tell you a secret, but do keep this between us, okay? Not even to the Masters, deal?"

"Deal."

"I had a male lover during my teenage day, Isaac Fraser," he showed his phone, a low-resolution picture of two boys dressed in sportswear posing by a sports stadium I've never seen before. One of them was Antonio because their facial structure is identical. He looked so young with an athletic figure, and it was hilarious seeing how he had luscious long locks back then. Now the hairs on his scalp looked like a couple of strings taped to it.