FREE⇡RIDE⇣HOME [Elevator Hitch || COTAG]

You've been waiting for this?

I wake up early, get dressed, et cetera, but only because I forgot we have a day off.

After turning myself inside out last night, a.k.a. vomiting, I went to bed immediately. I didn't even make my coworker anything to eat, as I'd promised...

So, I'm going to do that now. That poor man must be starving...

Well, he's sleeping now, so I have the chance to make him Breakfast in Bed™!

I get some fruits, slice them in pieces and put them in little bowls. I cut some vegetables too, take some bread and other ingredients, and make sandwiches. They look so appetising, I want to take one for myself...

Once I've finished and put everything on the same tray he used the last time, I take one, while waiting for the water in the kettle to boil.

I pour my coworker tea, and... he coincidentally walks in. Well, that's unfortunate.

"Good morning," I say. He looks much fresher today. Did his fever go away? "How are you feeling?"

"Good morning! I'm still a little weak, but I'm feeling much better. What are you making?"

"I was... going to make you breakfast in bed, but... you got up too early." I make a grumpy expression.

"Oh I can go back to bed, if you want," he assures.

"No, don't do that. Now that you're awake, you'll help me clean the place. Have a sandwich." I point to the tray.

He takes a whole bowl of fruits instead. What a toddler. "It's funny to see you work in my apartment. But, then I remember that this is now our apartment."

Once I've eaten, I clean the counter and start rummaging through the drawers and closets, looking for cleaning supplies. I don't ask him for help, because I want to find everything by myself.

I find a broom, and begin aggressively sweeping the floor, all while he's observing me, profusely. At this point, I remember what he asked me last night...

I turn around, and get a mild heart attack from my coworker standing right behind me out of a sudden. "I can do it for you," he suggests.

"It's... fine. I can manage." Looking at his face as he's standing so close to me makes me weak in the knees. I try to look anywhere except for in his face, because the eye contact makes me nauseous. "If you could... tidy up the bedroom a bit, I'll do the bathroom."

I don't want him to hang around the toilet I puked into last night. Hell no.

He grabs the broom anyway. "I've been sleeping all day yesterday, so I'll gladly take it from here. I have to do something to use up all of this energy..."

If only he could use up that energy by doing me instead...

Wait.

What?

Seriously? Gay thoughts, first thing in the morning? Whatever...

I give him the broom. "Sure... I'll handle the laundry, then."

I've thrown some of my own clothes in the laundry. I don't know what about him, though.

It's so much easier to do the washing at home, instead of going to the laundromat... This guy is seriously swimming in brass.

"N-No, I'll handle it..." he says, again.

"If I'll help, we'll be done earlier."

He groans, and points to the storage room. "There's the drying rack..."

I head towards it and pat his shoulder along the way. "Great! Do your best!" I lift the rack, and carry it to the bathroom, where the washing machine is, leaving my roommate behind.

I turn the laundry on shortly after, and head back to the living room.

I'm pretty sure I have only been away for about ten minutes, but... the floor is literally so shiny that it's reflecting light.

"Wow... nice job," I say out loud, before I notice that my coworker isn't with me in the room at all.

He comes in, dusting his hands. "Bedroom is handled!"

"How did you do this?!" I stare at him in disbelief.

"Years of experience... and lots of energy, I guess." He smiles. "So, is there anything else that I should do?"

"Not really, unless there's an area somewhere that I don't know of."

"I can–"

"I'll do the bathroom," I interrupt. "But, first..."

He tilts his head to the side, waiting for me to talk.

"About last night..."

Oh, oh no. Not again... Not the random stomach ache. I'm not even talking about that. "You know... what you said..." My mind keeps wandering off to that dark alley incident.

"Yeah, sorry," he apologises. "I was talking nonsense... just forget everything I've said yesterday." He laughs it off.

No.

He must be kidding me.

How rude... How awful...

I grasp his collar, accidentally pinching the skin on his throat in my grip. "You're kidding me," I whisper into his face.

My eyes are on the verge of tears. I'm desperately trying to keep myself together. "you're always like this," I yell into his face. My hands are shaky and barely holding on his shirt anymore.

"Calm–" he tries to speak.

"Oh, shut up," I release his collar and bump his forehead with my palm. "I've been waiting for days for this, and now you're going to just... tell me off?"

I step back, and head to the hallway.

Our employer shouldn't have given us this day off. I'd much more prefer to be with that weird grey guy instead of this disappointment of a man.

I'm going to puke.

"Hold on," my coworker begins, "you've been waiting for this? What do you mean..?"

I bury my face in my hands. "That I'm in love with you, dumbass."

✂