Perfect

4. Deal

C h a p t e r F o u r

I T has been a week and a half since then and Xander kept on visiting Chester at the unit either early in the morning or in the evening without skipping.

Since Xander refused Taylor's p*****t for the shoes and jeans so Xander proposed a deal to shut his mouth. He had to cook Xander every time he went there at the unit. Whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner.

And they had been getting along lately and as what Taylor observed from Chester. He had been pushing Taylor to Xander. Was he trying to play Cupid? Taylor thought. Like this time.

Taylor was alone with Xander in his kitchen. Chester left them? excusing himself right after finishing his dinner. Ella wasn't home after leaving a note on her bedroom door that she was having an overtime.

Of course, it's impossible, Taylor thought. Yes, he's handsome—Taylor glanced to Xander who was busy chewing his food—but he's not my type. He preferred a man with a slightly wild but at the same time gentle and cheerful personality, something like that. And at first glance to Xander, he wasn't definitely his type or if he was, it was impossible because of their situation.

So, it's impossible. Taylor nodded.

"What are you nodding for?" Xander said and Taylor snapped from his trances.

"H-ha? Nothing! I was thinking something." Taylor said, standing and brought his used plate to the sink.

He heard the dragging of chair and then Xander was suddenly at his back placing his used plate on the sink and rolling his sleeves up.

"What are you doing?" Taylor asked looking at him.

"I'm washing."

"Oh!" Taylor stepped a side a little. "Your hands?"

"The dishes." He said and was about to grab a plate when Taylor instantly slapped his hand without thinking saying "no!" Xander was surprised of his action and so was him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to slap you." The atmosphere grew more awkward. "I can do it, so please roll your sleeves down again."

"Okay." Xander said hesitantly and started rolling his sleeves down again stepping back. "What should I do with the leftovers?"

"I'll handle it after I finish here. Maybe you should go see Chester." Suggested Taylor.

"Oh, yeah." He said remembering Chester which was the reason he came there for. "So you're fine here?"

Taylor nodded and watched Xander disappeared before he faced the sink and sighed.

When Taylor finished washing the dishes, he placed the leftovers in the refrigerator and saw the eggs that Xander bought the last day and thought of cooking scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

After drinking a glass of water, Taylor went inside the room and saw Chester and Xander sleeping on the bed. Xander was in his work suit and socks, wrapping one arm on Chester. He was moved at what he saw and jealous also. They really looked like a family.

He walked and turned on the lamp at the bedside table before he turned off the light of the room, closed the door and went to the living room. He slumped on the couch, laid down and was glad that he fell asleep immediately.

° ° °

Taylor felt like it was raining and his face was the only part of him that was soaked. He groaned while opening his eyes and saw Ella sprinkling droplets of water to his face with her fingers and laughing. He sat on the sofa instantly.

"Hey!" He pointed Ella who ran away to the kitchen. He wiped his face with the hem of his shirt and saw a blanket covering his hips down. Ella must have placed it.

He stood folding the blanket and went to the kitchen. He found Ella eating a sandwich and smiled at him. He opened his eyes wider as a warning and she just stick her tongue out.

"Were you the one who placed that blanket?" He asked.

"No, I just arrived and why in the world are you sleeping there?" She said and took a bite. Taylor wrinkled his forehead. Then who the hell put the blanket on me? He thought.

Xander.

He u-turned and went to his bedroom, opening the door like he was sneaking and saw Chester on their bed. Xander was gone. He searched for evidences of Xander but nothing. He glanced to the clock and it says six thirty nine in the morning.

It must be Xander, he thought.

He sighed after closing the door slowly, walked to the bed and laid down. The pillow smelt like Xander. His smell was pleasant to the nose, like he was fresh from bath. He found himself drifted to sleep with that smell.

° ° °

"H E Y Xander!" Anton called him, one of his co-worker. "We're drinking the night. You in?"

His dad never placed him to a high position when he entered his dad's company. He said he needed to work for his position.

"Pass." He said while dialing Taylor's number.

"Is it because of that chick of yours? Are you calling her?" Anton said when he tucked his phone on his ear and heard the ringing tone.

"I'll go ahead." Xander said and left. He heard Anton murmuring about him and his chick and why he was always rushing.

If they only knew that that chick they were talking about was a man. Lol.

Xander kinda felt bad about Taylor last night. He fell asleep on his bed and Taylor ended up sleeping on the couch in the living room. The only thing Xander could do when he saw Taylor was to place a blanket on him before he left early in the morning.

"Dad?" Xander heard Chester's voice from the other line and he was surprised to hear it since he was expecting Taylor's voice.

"Chester! I just want to tell you that I'm on my way there."

"Great!" Chester said excited. "He's on his way." Xander heard Chester in a whisper like voice. He was telling Taylor, he thought.

"So, I'll see you."

"'Kay." Chester said and ended the call.

° ° °

Xander arrived ten minutes after their call ended. Taylor told him the password of their unit three days ago so he could enter on his own.

Chester welcomed him with a warm hug, then the door opened again and Ella went inside. They exchanged greetings.

"Papa had an upset stomach." Chester announced. "He kept on going inside the bathroom."

"He ate something that passed the expiration date." Ella pulled a small cellophane from the front pocket of her jacket. "For dehydration and an upset stomach." She said.

How can he ate something spoiled already?

"That's awful." Xander said and Chester nodded in agreement.

Ella went to the kitchen and brought a glass of water and went inside Taylor's room. Chester held his hand and pulled him inside after Ella.

"He's been there inside for thirty minutes." Chester said sitting on the edge of the bed. Ella went inside the bathroom.

"That long?" Xander said surprised. He never spent thirty minutes inside the bathroom by just taking a s**t. Chester nodded while pushing his lips together in a line.

Ella went out the bathroom with Taylor who looked like a ghost. He was pale as if all the colors were sucked out from his face. But he still managed to crack an apologetic smile on his lips when their eyes met.

° ° °

Xander was already used to have his dinner there than eat alone in his unit and not to mention about their deal. Taylor didn't join them that dinner and chose to sleep first. Taylor was afraid he might throw it all if he eat any.

He was about to discuss something with Taylor about Chester. He was planning on introducing his son to his family but it could wait for tomorrow to tell Taylor about it.

"So, what food did he ate that made him upset his stomach?" Xander said before he stuff food in his mouth and chewed.

"A can of peas." Chester said.

"Let me rephrase that, Ches." Ella said with her mouth full. "A can of expired peas! He must be out of his mind to eat it. How does it even tastes?"

"It tastes like s**t, Ella."

All their heads turned and saw Taylor at the door of the kitchen leaning his shoulder on the wall.

"That's. . . awful! Ha-ha!" Ella forced a laugh.

"Yeah. And you're talking on my back." Taylor took a seat beside Xander.

"How're you feeling?" Xander said and looked at Taylor who was boring hole with his eyes to the beef steak.

"Better after taking that medicine. Thanks for that, Ella." Taylor grabbed a fork and pointed it to Ella. "I owe you." Ella winked at Taylor. He dive the fork to the pieces of beef and placed it on his plate. "I came down because I'm hungry, obviously."

"Am I the one who bought that peas?" Xander said.

"Maybe?" Taylor looked at him. His color weren't that pale anymore. He has a very black eyes that it felt like he was staring to an endless pit of darkness and he has thick curve eyelashes.

"It was my fault."

"No, it's not!" Taylor said.

"Yeah, it's not." Chested said trying not to be out of place.

"It was Taylor's fault, clearly. For not reading the expiration date." Ella said while nodding. They all looked at her. "What?"

They all resumed eating silently and left Ella wondering.

° ° °

Xander wasn't able to drop by the next day to see Chester because of work so he bought a take out dinner and went to Taylor's unit. He knocked the door first before entering the code and opened it. The unit was empty or rather quiet when he heard something from the kitchen. Xander walked to the kitchen and saw Ella sautéing something in a pan.

"Hey." Xander said to let Ella know that he was there.

"Hey! I know it was you." Ella said while glancing.

"Where's everybody? I mean, Taylor and Chester?" Xander placed the take out food on the table. "By the way, I taked out some foods." He sat on a chair.

"Oh! You brought foods for dinner?" Xander nodded. "Sweet!" She turned off the stove and grabbed some clean plates. "Chester's inside his room." She placed the foods in the plates.

"Taylor?" He asked.

"He's at his studio. He was finishing something." She said.

He passed the studio and it was already closed when he glanced at it.

"And he said that he already eat with his friends. I was about to cook Chester's and my dinner tonight but. . . oh, you're an angel. You saved me." She winked at Xander who chuckled.

"I will call Chester."

"Okay."

Xander exited the kitchen and stopped in front of Chester-s***h-Taylor's door. He knocked two times and twist the knob hoping it wasn't locked.

It wasn't. He pushed it open and saw Chester laying on his stomach on the bed, holding his tab and watching anime. Xander knocked on the door again to get Chester's attention.

Chester paused the video, rolled his body on the bed and stood.

"Dad!" Chester said excitedly and ran to Xander.

"Hey." He lift Chester up in the air before he placed him down the ground giggling. "How was your day?"

"Good."

"Dinner's ready."

They ate dinner quietly. It felt like someone was missing. Someone in fact was missing and time was running so slow. It felt different without Taylor. Ella volunteered to wash the dishes. Xander went with Chester to the bedroom and Chester pulled his hand and they both laid on the bed after he removed his shoes.

"Do you watch anime?" Chester said.

"I used to."

"Oh." Chester said without leaving his eyes to the screen.

He was waiting for Taylor but after an hour, Taylor haven't back home yet. He glanced at his watch and it reads eight fifty-five in the evening.

"What time does Taylor goes home when he overtime?" He asked Chester.

"One or two o'clock."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and thought. He couldn't wait for Taylor.

Then door suddenly opened and Ella went in throwing him a key that he almost didn't catch.

"Key to the studio's back door. Taylor's alone there. You might want to accompany him?" Ella said grinning.

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