Zick-Zack Romance (MxM)

As They Come They Go (1)

Chapter 9: As They Come They Go (1)

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“Hey… morning… do you want to eat some of the Chinese we ordered yesterday?” Nathan carefully approached Mason as if he was approaching a tiger in the wild. He walked slowly as if not to disturb the man.

“No, thanks…” Mason gave a quick response as he barely got up from bed and it was past noon already. He went to sit down at his desk as he began typing away.

“Man, you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, you can’t keep at it like that.” Nathan said with a gentle voice, he was still speaking rather quietly. ‘I’m worried he’s not really taking care of himself…’ He thought as he saw the cans upon cans of energy drinks laying around yet the man was constantly tired.

“I was thinking on going on a diet anyway… Since I’ve gained some weight…” Mason said as he continued typing, only stopping to take another sip of his energy drink.

“No, if anything you’ve lost weight… It’s better if you eat something, I’ll leave it here for you, alright?” Nathan said as he put the Chinese food on the table and headed out.

“Sure…” Mason remarked then focused on his screen again, not really peeling his eyes off of it for more than several seconds at a time. He didn’t even bother to look at his friend while talking to him,

‘He says that but he’s probably not going to eat it…’ Nathan thought to himself as he slumped his shoulders. While he headed to the door he noticed Lucas approaching and stepped back to make way.

“Hey, hey! How’s it going bro?” Lucas asked in a very cheery manner as he approached the other from behind.

“It’s fine…” Mason said with a rather indifferent tone of voice, yet again only focusing on his screen and typing the next sentence.

“Wanna go and hang out today? I heard ‘bout what happened from Nate so… um… want to talk about it?” Lucas asked as he leaned onto the other’s desk with one hand.

“No, I’d rather be left alone.” Mason said as he continued typing away on his keyboard. “Please move your hand away from my desk as well…” He said while glancing at his roommate’s hand.

“Oh? S-sorry…” Lucas quickly apologized, then continued. “Mate… you should go out a bit more… The weather outside is really nice!” He remarked as he pointed at the window.

“I went out this morning to walk Leo, and I’ll go out again later…” Mason said with a very indifferent tone as he continued typing away. At this point the list he was writing on was nearly full.

“No, I mean for more than a ten minute walk…” Lucas clarified as he tilted his head to the side. “See… break ups are bad and all but you have to get over it and get back on your feet…” He said words of encouragement that didn’t sound too encouraging to the man they were being spoken to.

“What is it to you?” Mason stopped typing and turned around to look at the man. “How could you possibly know what it’s like since you’ve never been dumped before? In fact you’re not only always the one to dump others but you make me get in the way as well and help you out…” He said in an irritated tone.

“Look, I’m trying to help you out and you’re being difficult.” Lucas was now angry that his friend had suddenly started talking about the past in such a manner.

“Calm down Lucas… you know he’s not in the best state at the moment let’s just let him be for a while-” Nathan tried to intervene and play mediator to this situation but it didn’t look like it would work.

“Nate, why are you standing up for him like this? He’s the one that started it!” Lucas said in an annoyed voice. “Is it my fault they broke up? He’s acting like I’m coming into a stranger’s house!” He yelled.

“You shouldn’t say something like that!” Nathan yelled back as he looked at the man typing on his laptop.

“No, Nate… he’s right… I guess the fact I’ve been paying the rent on this place for half a year while you were gone and for near a year while you were out of a job… I guess that means nothing, right? And how about the near thousand dollars you owe me from that time? Is that nothing as well? I haven’t ever pressured you to give any of it back and now you dare say this is your house?!” Mason was beyond annoyed at this point. He would have usually never spoken to the man in such a manner but he was basically seeing red at that moment. The anger and disappointment that had long welled up inside him made him say things he usually wouldn’t.

“I said I’ll pay it back… I’ll pay the bills and stuff…” Lucas said in a quieter voice, he knew he’d done something wrong but it took him a second too long to realize it.

“Yeah, alright… but you know… I don’t want to make you feel unwelcomed so I’ll just leave.” Mason said as he closed his laptop and stood up from his seat. Taking it off the charger and packing it in his bag.

“No, that’s not what I meant, I just said something stupid!” Lucas said as he put his hand on the man’s shoulder trying to stop him from putting his things away.

“It’s fine… I have my own place anyways, I shouldn’t be coming here and bothering you…” Mason said as he packed his things along with several notebooks and pens and manga he had lying around his desk.

“Mason, stop! I didn’t mean what I said-” Lucas tried to speak but the other interrupted him once more, not really caring to listen to anything the other had to say anymore…