Blossomed in Love (ManXboy)

Sleepless Nights and errands.

Damon

I walk into the restaurant and immediately sight Dashiel and Marcel in our usual spot so I walk towards them.

"Damn you look like a fifty year old man with 18 kids and a million dollars in child support." Dash says with a laugh and Marcel joins in the laughter.

"Gee thanks, very descriptive too." I roll my eyes at the laughing men before taking my seat across from them.

I barely got any sleep after the thing with me and Marco last night. For the life of me I couldn't even close my eyes. I've gotten so used to his presence right there on my bed cuddling tightly into me. His cold feet sandwiched between mine to find some warmth. His small body snatching the blanket from me and me having to roll him on top of me to cover us both.

I couldn't sleep without all that.

I just want some snuggles.

I'd thought to just give Marco some space and maybe sleep on the other couch but that didn't work either and I'd ended up on top of him and caging him in my arms. This was in the wee hours of the morning.

I woke up to little hands hitting my chest to get me up with the scoffs that kept escaping his pretty mouth. All in all I probably got roughly two hours of sleep and not even coffee can revive the train wreck I am today.

"But he's right, you look like shit." Marcel states. I glance at my other childhood friend. His jet black hair styled in a side part comb-over with taper fade giving him this casual professional look. Well I guess I look like shit this morning, going by how my friends look.

"Any other fucking observations?"

"Snappy" Dash mumbles and Marcel mumbles an agreement too.

"Tough night." I reply.

"Wanna talk about it?" Marcel asks. I deliberate it deeply before replying.

"After this meeting." We proceed to why we're gathered, Marcel wanting to build three more hotels in strategic suburban locations in the city. My friend is one of the best in the hospitality business, hotels, spas, cruise line, and major investments in other tourism sectors, also a family business like the rest of us and after everything that has happened to him, I'm so proud of his achievements.

"Let's order, I'm famished." Dash says after we conclude the meeting.

We still had a lot to go over but it's not the first time our companies are doing business even dating back to our parents, so things are a lot smoother than if it was a new project.

I grab the pad below the table and tick my usual order of potato wedges and a cheeseburger before passing it to Marcel and then Dash. That's for his earlier comments and he notices that as he rolls his eyes at me.

Our food arrives in no time and my mood boosts up a little, hunger added to my irritation all morning so at the very least my mind can be taken off the whole situation at home.

"So what exactly has got your panties in a twist?" Dash asks as I take a big bite of my cheeseburger, and let the taste marinate on my tongue.

"Marco wants to get married." Marcel looks confused as Dash's mouth pulls into an 'Oh'.

My parents couldn't make it work and now they've been separated for 9 years now. Marcel's parents don't even live together and his dad has more girlfriends than the fingers on my hands. Dash's parents was an arranged marriage that's still going well, but the point is I don't see the point of a wedding or a marriage if I'm doing better than the so called married ones. The marriages around me aren't exactly role model materials so I think I've deserved every reason to construct my own opinion.

"And you don't." Dash replies dully. "Did you tell him that?" He continues and I just nod in reply.

"Damn I'm guessing it didn't go well?" I give him a 'really?' look. Of course it went well, I just feel like being a Debbie downer, I roll my eyes internally. "Sorry, I'm just trying to understand."

"So what do you plan to do?" My best friend asks and honestly for the first time in a while I don't freaking know what to do. I'm usually in control of most things and when I'm not, I work my way into that position of control. So being at a cross-roads, an intersection of beliefs that could make or break me is super new to me.

I shrug in answer while taking another bite of my cheeseburger.

"You know I don't belief in talking to shrinks, but I believe in identifying the root of the problem and tackling it from there. Maybe try to identify that and talk to him about it." It's quiet between us for a while as I mull over Marcel's words for a minute or thereabouts.

I don't know where it all went wrong or even where it all started.

Maybe when my mom started finding more joy in shopping than her own marriage, the fights when they thought I was asleep. All the other marriages around me doing fairly worse or slightly better but none that made me fancy the idea.

"And you guys could always compromise, which is what the whole idea of a relationship is all about, right?" Marcel looks at me expectantly and I nod in agreement "So fucking compromise." He shrugs.

"When did you get so wise?" Dash asks him teasingly and it's like a quick second of hurt that flashes in his eyes, Dash realizes his mistake instantly. "Shit, I'm sorry."

Marcel closes his eyes for a brief moment before opening it back and his bright shiny orbs return to their usual mysterious stare where you can't ever tell what he's thinking. "Don't apologize, sometimes life happens and you learn from it." It's quiet between us again as we finish up our meals all before Dash opens his mouth again.

"Is that Luciano?" I whip my head around to the area his finger points that I damn near had a whiplash.

Never really being a proponent of hating people, sure I can dislike something you did but it takes a lot to hate a person for me. I hate Luciano with a passion. Granted it's more of my possessiveness over Marco but still I hate the guy and that's not changing anytime soon.

However, he's not where Dash is pointing, I look back at him to find out where the fucker is, only to see Marcel cracking up and my potato wedges in the Hippo's mouth.

"Seriously? You couldn't ask for some or just get yours?" I roll my eyes in irritation as I calm myself down from the energy surge that I got with just the mention of Luciano being around a mile's radius of me. "Hippopotamus"

"Christ, that was the funniest thing I've seen all day." Marcel says amidst his laughter that's bringing tears to his eyes right now. "He whipped his head so fast that I almost ran to pick it up for him." I end up laughing at the irony from him.

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"I'll email you a proposal by tomorrow morning." I state to Marcel as we make our way out of the restaurant. I give a small wave to his chauffeur Felix who returns it gingerly.

"Take care guys." I make a fist bump with Marcel and Dash does the same before Felix opens the door for him and he enters the truck.

"You going to the office?" Dashiel asks in front of my Jeep which is parked next to his.

There's something I need to do, I think I've avoided it for a while now but it's time I listened without any forms of malice or pre-judgement. "No, I have an errand."

He gives me an understanding smile before nudging me gently, "Take care okay?"

"Always." I get into my Jeep and quickly drive up to the condo in the quiet part of town, which is also about ten minutes away from my own home.

I've avoided this for 9 years of my life and now i don't want to anymore.