Another Chance at My Promise

Twink - CHAPTER 5

Remi grinned and shook his head.

"No? You seem like a cat person."

Remi shook his head again and held Paxton up.

"I have a puppy. I d-don't like cats."

Marcelo and Remi ended up meeting once again at the café. Marcelo decided to sit and talk with him for a while. He was actually discovering a lot about the little guy. He was a very interesting person, just very locked away.

"Oh! I forgot all about him. What's his name?"

"Paxton."

"Paxton. Paxton. Paxton is a nice name. It suits him. When did you get him?"

"After high sc-school."

"Ah, so he's your little fur baby, huh?"

Remi grinned again, shaking his head once more. Marcelo hummed, adjusting in his seat. He analyzed Remi. The way that his lips were upturned into a slight smile. The way that he gently rubbed Paxton's fur. Even the way that he sat. Remi was very neat. He sat straight up in his chair, and his legs were crossed. His oversized sweater that had a tiny sunflower in the middle of his chest didn't have a single wrinkle. His hair was perfect, curled up into his beautiful, loose curls that sprang happily on his head. Everything about him was organized.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Remi shook his head, no.

"No, I get that. I used to be the same way but then, boom: big family!" Marcelo exaggerated, using his hands to mimic an explosion. Remi giggled.

"What happened?" he asked, shyly.

"Well, at first, it was only me and Blaire. We didn't have to talk to each other. We were polar opposites that liked our own space. Then, our parents kept popping out one baby after the next and soon, it was a whole litter of pamper-wearing gremlins running around. I had to take care of all of them most of the time since I was the oldest. Especially once my parents started working this place," he said, pointing to the air to signify the café.

"Y-You're the oldest?"

"Why yes, I am. Is it obvious by my high success and looks?"

Remi made a face that showed that he was unimpressed.

"Okay, I admit. That sounded highly cocky. I'm sorry. Yes, I am the oldest. My parents had me while they were in high school. They had Blaire shortly after they graduated."

"How many of you guys are there?"

"Twelve. Fourteen including my parents."

Remi's eyes bulged. The Reids really had twelve kids! How in the world did they manage? Marcelo chuckled and leaned back against his chair, taking a sip of his tea that he'd made himself. "Go ahead. I know you want to say something."

Remi shook his head, no.

"Come on, Remi. Go ahead. Say it."

Remi shook his head again.

"I promise that what you might say will already have been said multiple times. Go ahead."

"H-How did they do it?" Remi asked, finally giving in.

"I genuinely have no idea. I almost lost my mind. But honestly, it wasn't as bad as it seems. I mean, yeah the bills were definitely high, but it wasn't bad. It was actually pretty fun. Everyday was a new adventure. Never a dull moment."

Remi just stared in shock. He still couldn't believe that there were twelve Reid kids. It makes sense though. So much work gets done at the café in such short time that it only makes sense for it to be a lot of them.

"What about you? Tell me a bit about yourself."

"I don't—I..."

"You've got to have something to tell me. Even if it's just what elementary you went to."

Rubbing his arm, Remi dug deep. There were many things about him. Some things weren't necessarily appropriate to tell at the moment though. He couldn't trust Marcelo with some of his information.

"I-I don't really know what to tell you. I'm g-gay. I guess you can know that."

"Tell me something that I don't know, Remi."

"What do y-you mean?"

"Remi, you wear dresses."

"That doesn't mean anything a-at all."

"Okay, you're right; it doesn't, but it's so obvious to me that you're gay. You're like a cute little twink."

Remi's jaw dropped. What the hell? He knew that he was considered a twink, but he didn't need someone like Marcelo telling him that. Besides, being the grown man that Marcelo was, shouldn't he know not to say that to someone?

Remi hmphed and pouted.

"Seee! You're 100% twink."

"I-I am not."

"Yes, you are. You're literally the definition of a twink."

"Okay, so what?" Remi mumbled.

"What was that?"

"So what... So what if I am?"

"Nothing, nothing. You admit that you're a twink though?"

Remi huffed and looked away.

"Alright, alright. I'll quit messing with you. There's nothing wrong with being a twink by the way. Just saying." Marcelo tilted his head as he drunk more of his tea. Remi glanced back up at him. Was he gay too? No... maybe he was just an ally.

As Marcelo looked back down, he met Remi's honey colored eyes and he winked, the action frightening Remi a bit. Blushing, Remi averted his eyes down to Marcelo's shirt, a burgundy colored shirt that all of the Reid employees wore to signify that they were workers. It had the Yo Jo Café logo on it and underneath the logo on a gold name-tag read, Marcelo Reid.

Figuring that he'd been looking away for long enough, Remi looked back up to see Marcelo still looking at him like he always is with analyzing eyes. Remi cleared his throat and looked down at a sleeping Paxton.

"I think that'll be my nickname for you. Twink."

"W-Why are you so fascinated with m-me being a twink?"

Marcelo smiled and leaned back in his chair even more, stretching his arms across the back of the chair. The posture of dominance.

"I'll let you determine that."

Remi shrugged in confusion and looked back down at Paxton. He was starting to wake up so Remi rubbed him underneath his ears and sat him up so that he could eat his whipped cream. His little tongue lapped it up, and he smacked his lips at how good it was.

But Remi, he really wanted to know. Why was Marcelo so obsessed with him being a... twink?