VINCE:
Dorian threw his skinny arm around that Greek love boat with broken eyes and flashed me an apologetic smile before just leaving. "Give up." Tinkerbell said quietly, laying another one of Dorian's graphic T's in the larger pile to her left, not even looking up from the task at hand.
"Pardon me?" I ask, overly polite. She may be little, but I've never had a kick to the nads hurt so damn bad.
"Give. Up." she said slowly, finally looking up and piercing me with her strange green eyes. "I've seen the look on your face before, I've seen it every morning when I look in the mirror since I was fifteen. It's the look of someone deeply in an unrequited love." she sneered inwardly, squinting at one of the button ups I had picked out personally then, thankfully, seemed to disregard it.
"My love isn't unrequited!" I growled, taking a calming breath before continuing, not missing the dangerous anger that flashed over her face. "Dorian does love me."
"Yes, I know. It's just the kind of love he has for you is the kind he'd feel for a mentor or a best friend. He just doesn't know that yet and I can see you desperately hanging on, like trying to hold a living flame in your hands, if you touch it for too long you get burned, because it isn't meant for you..."
"Why should I trust you? You're his friend." Like she didn't know right?
"Well aware," she scoffed, "and I know exactly how you feel...I'm in love with him..." I was about to growl, thinking she meant my beloved Dorian, but then it dawned on me.
"Alex?" I asked.
"No, the tooth fairy, his abs are positively lickable-yes 'Alex', you fucking moron!" I nodded slowly, making her sigh in desperation. "They aren't meant for us to have, kid."
"Dorian is so meant to be..." I trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. "I'm still going to fight for him." I said, quietly.
"Can't blame you, I felt the same way at first. When you give up, I live in the house to the left of Alex." Without another word, she bundled up the larger pile of Dorian's shirts and left, leaving me feeling hollow.
DORIAN:
I parked the car, feeling awkward, neither of us had said a word in the fifteen minutes it took to get to the Coffee House. "Ready?" I asked, hesitantly. Alex, arms still wrapped tightly around himself nodded with a small smile. "Kay." I bit my tongue feeling stupid then went around to open Alex's door for him.
He gave a genuine smile and allowed me to wrap my arm around his waist, melting into me, despite the fact that he was notably taller and slightly broader than me. For once in my young adult-hood, I was the man. I was the one offering comfort to someone over the age of five, I was the shoulder to be cried upon and honestly, it felt amazing. "What do you want to drink?" I asked.
"I can buy it myself." he murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear, blushing slightly under his olive skin. I envied his beautiful color for a moment then gave a wry look.
"Hey, I asked you here, I'm paying, hot stuff, so again, what can I get for you?" Alex bit his lip, stifling a smile and cuddling closer into my arms.
"Um, a chai tea, please."
"No way." I chuckled.
"What? Is it weird for a guy to drink?"
"Well, yeah, it's just I figured i was the only guy who liked chai tea." Alex's eye glazed over, telling me he had zoned out. I led him in his dreamy stupor up to the counter when it was our turn and placed my order, holding my chin high, determined not to be ridiculed while I was being Alex's rock, but to my utter surprise the girl who took our order didn't at all look disgusted when she noticed my arm wrapped around Alex.
