Mr. Scientist (Cecilos)

Khoshekh

God what was I thinking? Sitting by his door like a puppy in a basket? Ugh, I'm so stupid. I embarrassed myself. Whatever, it's gone.
Carlos falls asleep before my eyes and I just stare, admiring him. I get up and grab the throw pillows and knitted blanket off his couch, then throwing the blanket over him and lifting his head up to put a pillow under.
It's late and he's tired. Or is it late? It's dark. Maybe it's the afternoon and he just needs a nap, but I don't know. Time is messed up and nonexistent so how am I supposed to know?
I dig in my pocket for a scrap of paper and find a pen, writing a note saying "Call me when you wake up, I'll bring over dinner or whatever meal it is." I leave it on the island counter and go around his apartment, examining things. I find his laptop on his bed, opened. I fall in front of it, planning to do some snooping. Not much, just what he has on his desktop.
I rub the mouse pad and wake up the computer, pressing the arrow key to log in. I gasp, standing up. The window opens to rings on a jewelers' website. Specifically under men's wedding bands. Maybe he sees something within us both.
It doesn't seem like long but it's been a while since we met. It feels like I know every detail about this man. Plus, time doesn't exist.
I look at the clock on Carlos's computer, and become suspicious. If time is messed up in Night Vale, then why is this correct? Well, obviously it's because it's from out of town. I grow curious.
I wander back into the living room and glance over at my sleeping boyfriend. I look over at the love seat and see his book bag, with a manilla folder leaning against it. I sit down and peek into the folder; a little picture of a creature is paper clipped to a paper filled with words and handwritten notes. I open the folder and read through. I realize the picture is fuzzy, and the light barely makes out the creature.
In his notes they read: "Day 56, the biotransports have brought over the last of the test subjects from the old lab in Texas. Opening up the tarp covering the subjects today revealed this creature. As I describe it, it may be a mutated rabbit. It's ears show black rings and its saliva is toxic. It's eyes radiate red and it has apparently consumed the subject in the cage adjacent to its own. I fear discovering more of the subjects will show more..disturbing things. Hopefully not, tests will be ran, for now, I am scared of looking at more of these subjects. It has been transferred to the containment ward, at least..I hope so."
I try reading the handwritten footnotes but his handwriting is beyond messy. He must've been in a rush. I worry of what he works with because something like this would make anyone cower.
I hear Carlos shuffle and sit up, I close the folder and put it back, get up and throw away my note. "Hey sleepy." I say.
He blinks. "H-hey, Ceec," he yawns. "Wanna grab some food? I..don't have much."
"Pizza and a movie?" I shrug.
"Sounds great." He gets up and reaches for his phone and calls up Big Rico's. He orders half pepperoni and half pepperoni and mushroom, since we spent practically half an hour arguing over what toppings to get, along with the soda.
After that, we cuddle on the couch scrolling through Netflix and debate between a horror and a chick flick, in the midst of argument the doorbell rings and Carlos approaches the door with $20 in his hand. He opens to the door to a scrawny blonde boy in red with pizza boxes, his eyes are vacant. Carlos quickly snatches the box and liter of Coca-Cola and hands him the money with a quick goodnight and plopping back on the couch. He pops open the liter and drinks less than a quarter of it on the spot as I throw open the box's top. Carlos and I each grab a slice and munch away.
Half way through the movie, we finish both the pizza and bottle and I find myself laying on his chest, dozing off as he strokes my hair. I quietly whisper "That's my job." and he chuckles.