Like Sugar

Chapter Three

The things that happened early in the next morning were mostly a blur. Jared woke up first and took a shower, and Darnell had one after him. It was strange to have someone stay the night, so Jared was a bit nervous and confused about how to treat Darnell, so he just went with letting the man do what he wanted to while following him around.

It was Saturday, and Jared didn't have work to do. Darnell also didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave. The younger man got into his change of clothes he had brought with him before helping Jared out with the laundry and vacuuming because he felt useless just sitting around and doing nothing. Jared was mostly quiet as he sorted things out and arranged the assignment sheets he was planning to mark later in the day. They were both in the living room of the three-room duplex now. As they went about their business Darnell rambled on about things Jared could only understand in bits and pieces.

"You do drag?" the older man asked when Darnell just finished trailing off about dressing up and performing at a bar with his friend.

Darnell gave the older man a smile before nodding. "Yes!" he said, pausing what he was doing before looking over at Jared with a wide smile. "You should come to one of my shows. I don't really have many now because I'm just starting out, but if I get a gig next week, I'll invite you," Darnell mentioned, and Jared bit his bottom lip in thought. Gay bars that hosted drag shows held his biggest fear — pretty effeminate men that looked at him like he was scum. It was strange. If people thought the emphasis on looks when dating the opposite gender was cruel, they would break down if they had to spend over an hour on Grindr.

"Well?" Darnell asked, turning on the vacuum cleaner again. Jared apologized when he realized he had spaced out before running a hand through his dark hair. He was sitting on the longest sofa in his sitting room with the center table drawn close to him so that he could have a surface to arrange the sheets on.

"Sure, I'll come," he said when he noticed the mild irritation on Darnell's face. The young man immediately cheered up before he started rambling on about something else. He spoke too fast, so much so that Jared could only pick up a few words, but the older man didn't mind. It felt nice to have someone with him. It was also nice that Darnell was talking to him, and not pretending he was a brick wall.

It was one of those things he had worried about when they were still sorting out their contract. They were miles away age-wise, and Jared felt that they wouldn't have things to talk about or say to each other, but Austin assured him it wouldn't matter much.

"What do you teach?"

"Hm?" Jared stopped what he was doing to stare at Darnell who was now sitting on one of the living room sofas. He had put the vacuum clear away, and the carpet looked spotless.

Darnell shrugged, hugging himself as he pursed his lips. "You're a lecturer, right? What do you teach?" Darnell asked again, making rub the back of his neck.

"Physics," Jared answered, looking back down at his students' assignments. He had a lot of good students, but sometimes he wondered how some of them made it far enough to take a 300-level class.

"That's nice," Darnell said, giving Jared a smile. The older man felt his face warm up. He looked away, a little scared about how Darnell made him feel.

"So—" Jared started, pausing as he looked up at Darnell. The man was in lose jogging trousers and a plain white baggy top. his curly hair seemed shorter, probably from the water getting into his hair in the shower. He was slender, but not in a sickly or unhealthy way. Darnell looked up at Jared, waiting for him to ask his question. He had his hands folded under his shirt. It looked funny but cute. Jared wondered how someone could look so attractive when in such common attire.

"What are you majoring in?" It sounded like such a stupid question coming out of Jared's mouth, but he didn't have anything to talk about with Darnell, and since the young man hand brought up his profession there was no harm in asking him about school, right?

"Economics," Darnell said, answering Jared's question before looking down at his feet. He was using his toes to brush through the hairs of the carpet, leaving tiny trails of flat carpet material behind with each comb.

"Oh, that's a good course," Jared said, pressing his hands together as he watched Darnell play with the carpet. The younger man let out a small chuckle before looking up and smiling. Jared looked away again, running a hand through his hair as he looked down at the pile of assignment sheets. Darnell was always smiling, but Jared still hadn't gotten used to it.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Darnell said as Jared glanced at him again. The younger man looked lost in thought like he was trying to decide what to say. "I was going to drop out because I got kicked out from home and couldn't afford it anymore—" he paused as if he realized he was saying too much. "Well, that's out of the way and I don't have to anymore. Thanks," he said instead, giving Jared a small smile. Jared wasn't sure if Darnell was thanking him for the arrangement they had, or he was saying 'thanks' in the offhanded way some of his students did. Oh well, it's not like he needed to understand.

When Austin was still playing middleman, Jared had been worried that Darnel attended the university he taught at, but Austin told him it was the little business college at the other end of town. Jared didn't know they had an Economics program, but it made sense that they did.

"So, what do you do when you're not teaching?" Darnell asked, making Jared raise a brow at him. "I mean, you must have things you like to do, right?" Darnell asked, still getting silence from Jared.

"Come on, don't be boring," he said, pouting before resting back on the sofa. "Let's talk," he insisted, taking his hands from under his shirt before folding them over his chest. Jared could feel a smile tugging at the corner of his lip. He laughed, covering his mouth with his hand to stop himself. Darnell was just adorable and hilarious.

"I like collecting china cups if you want to see—"

"I said don't be boring," Darnell said with a dramatic sigh, startling Jared. He didn't know if he should feel offended or not. Was Darnell insulting him?

"I'm just teasing you," Darnell said after a while, probably noticing how quiet Jared had gone. "I'm sorry," he properly apologized, making Jared sigh as he held his hands together. It was a little embarrassing to have Darnell realize how sensitive he was in real time. He couldn't take jokes because half the time when people made snide comments like that regarding his hobbies, tastes, and looks, they weren't joking. They were just being cruel.

Jared opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He bit down on his bottom lip, looking from Darnell who was giving him a worried look to the work he had in front of him.

That had gone South really fast.

He worked, trying not to think much about it, but be looked up in surprise when he heard someone settling down beside him on the sofa.

"Sorry," Darnell said, wrapping his hands around Jared's shoulders and burying his head in the man's shoulder. "I didn't mean it," he insisted, making Jared sigh before dropping his pen and easing into the hug. Darnell hummed, kissing his cheek before burying his head in his shoulder again.

"I'm just stupid. I can't tell what's a china cup and what isn't," Darnell explained, removing his head from Jared's shoulder. he two stared at each other, Darnell reached out to take Jared's hand before giving it a squeeze. "What about music? You sing very well," Darnell said, changing the topic. Jared's face warmed up. He didn't think he sang well. He had an interest in music, but his stage fright and anxiety around people made him not to sing much in front of other people. So, he had no idea how he sounded.

"Hmm?" Darnell asked, raising a brow as he waited for Jared to say something.

"Yeah, I have some collections from back in the day—" Jared started but paused. "Are you too young for videotapes?" Jared asked, making Darnell roll his eyes. Jared laughed, amused by the young man's reaction.

"I know songs from as far back as the 50s. My mum used to be a jazz singer, test me," Darnell insisted, bringing his feet up on the sofa before hugging his knees to himself. It wasn't something Jared liked people doing, but if Darnell was doing it, it was alright with him.

"Okay," Jared said, getting up. "I have them in a box in the basement. I'll bring them up," he said, looking over at Darnell. "Can you help me put those papers aside?" he asked Darnell, watching as the man gave him a thumbs up and started doing in immediately.

Jared was about to leave for the basement before he remembered something and turned back to face Darnell. "You haven't eaten breakfast, you can have something while I'm in the basement. It'll take a while," Jared said, watching as Darnell nodded at that. Jared left for the basement afterward, and it took him a while to find the box of old videotapes and the music player he bought from a vintage store over five years ago. He carried everything up, raising a brow when he smelt eggs as he climbed up the stairs to the living room. Darnell was sitting on the sofa with a mug of beverage in his hand while another cup was on the small table in front of him with a plate filled with eggs and bacon.

"Thought you'd want something too," he said, licking off the little foam that had stuck to the top of his bowed upper lip. Jared nodded, putting the box on the table before taking a seat beside Darnell. Maybe it was the sofa's cushion that sunk and brought Darnell a little closer or maybe the young man had just shuffled closer. Either way, it made Jared's stomach fill up with nerves.

"When are you going back? You know you can ask me to drop you," Jared said, picking the cup of cocoa Darnell had made him. He just realized Darnell might be waiting because Jared was supposed to tell him when to leave or offer to drop him off.

Darnell seemed to tense up as his smile curved downwards. He pushed some of his curls behind his ear, tightening his jaw before he spoke up. "I wasn't planning to leave before Sunday evening if that's okay with you," Darnell said, playing with the spoon in his cup.

"Oh." Was the only thing Jared said in response. He had expected Darnell to come over have s*x with him and disappear the same night, but it seemed he was wrong. "It's okay with me," Jared muttered, making Darnell grin. The younger man had nice gummy teeth.

"It's a relationship."

Jared remembered the words Austin had told him. Of course, he had been skeptical then. Sugar baby, Sugar daddy relationships weren't real relationships, but Jared had to admit that what he was doing with Darnell; having breakfast and talking felt extremely close to one. Darnell was spending two nights in his house and was engaging with him like he was worth it. It felt good — extremely good. Jared had to make out time to treat Austin out for lunch. He was glad he had convinced him to do this.

Darnell shuffled closer, gesturing to the box of dusty videotapes with the music player lodged somewhere in pile. "Play something," he said, looking over at Jared as he cuddled up to him. Jared took in a deep breath, nodding before setting things up and flipping the switch on the music player after selecting a tape.

The two talked about mundane things as they ate breakfast and hummed along to old school music.