Their Marred Boy

Chapter 27

With a smudge of batter across his cheeks, hints of flour in his hair, and an adorable apron tied around his waist, Harper stood before him. The boy's mismatched eyes were wide and his split lips were parted in surprise.

"Eli?" he softly whispered and gently placed the spatula on the counter.

"Hi, baby." The man cooed as he approached his surprised mate.

"Where have you been?" Harper questioned with furrowed brows and a slight pout. "You were gone for so long."

Elias chuckled as he pulled the angry boy in for a hug. Harper melted into him, though the upset expression stood intact.

"I was only away for three days, honey."

"Exactly!" He exclaimed, "I missed you."

"Oh, Harps I've missed you too." The taller man pulled away to look at his mate. Three days had certainly felt longer than they were.

Harper seemed alright, nothing had really changed since Elias had last seen him... Well, maybe except for his disheveled appearance, which drew an amused chuckle from him.

"What happened here?" He asked as he wiped the boy's cheek with his thumb, eliciting a blush from Harper.

"Oh... I'm trying to bake." He said, smiling sheepishly, "It gets a bit messy."

"A bit. Sure." Elias teased as he looked around, "What are you making?"

"Cupcakes. And I'm gonna ice them really nice Eli, they're going to be so pretty." Harper excitedly pulled his mate to the kitchen's island, where sprinkles of many colors and shapes stood. "Fe got me a lot of stuff to decorate with."

"That's lovely, sweetheart. I can't wait to try them."

"Oh no. Don't get your hopes too high, I'm really not that good."

"Nonsense. I'm sure they'll be amazing." Elias assured he found his hand reaching for the boy's shorter curls.

When Elias had first met Harper, his mate's hair had been thin and would fall out in chunks. Poor nutrition had been the cause of this, so the boys had taken him to see a doctor who had prescribed him supplements and protein shakes. They also got him hair oils and masks that would help nourish his struggling locks.

Harper's hair had improved a lot alongside his body, however, the antipsychotics he was using were kind of stunting the improvements. It was okay though, as he had grown more fond of his hair and was overall more confident.

"And your hair! I love it, baby, you look so handsome!" Elias gushed as he ran his fingers through the now softer, shinier strands.

Harper blushed, reaching over to play with the ends of his hair, "Really? I like it a lot too."

"Yes really. It suits you so well." The taller man kept on complimenting his mate as the boy grew redder and redder. Harper was quite open with what he liked, and it was so refreshing to see the boy saying positive things about himself.

A short while of catching up later, Elias caught sight of his watch and winced, "Ah Harps, I need to speak with Felix so I have to go to his office." 

"Now? But you just got here." Harper whined, tightening his hold on the man.

"I know darling, but it's urgent. You can come along if you'd like." He suggested.

Harper thought for a moment. He hadn't been to Felix's office before so he wasn't sure whether he was up for the nerve-wracking experience of meeting new people when he could just stay at home with his cupcakes. Happy and at ease.