Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Leo
“You are such a lifesaver,” Bren says, not for the first time. I carefully line up the mugs on the table, making sure none of them are too close to the edge, just in case.
“It’s fine, dude. You don’t have to keep thanking me.”
“I seriously owe you one. Fawksy was going to come help but something came up last minute.”
“You can buy me dinner or something,” I tell him, flashing him a grin. “If Andras will let you out alone. You two are practically connected at the hip lately.”
Bren stops what he’s doing and gives me a look, wiggling his brows at me. I reach over and shove his face.
“Disgusting.”
“What? You’re the one who said it!”
“You knew exactly what I meant, you asshole.”
Bren chuckles, carefully setting out the paints and the cups needed for Bren’s little booth.
We’re selling ceramics that Bren designed and painted himself.
But we’re also doing a station where people can paint their own ceramics.
We’ll transport them to Bren’s art store ourselves where he can bake them and then have people come pick them up when they’re done.
It’s a really fun idea and I think it’ll get people into the shop even beyond today.
“I’m serious though. I assumed you’d want Andras here to help you.”
Bren nods his head. “I would have loved that but he’s busy,” he explains with a pout. What a dork. As much as I tease him, I have to admit that love looks good on Bren.
And no, I’m not jealous. Of course not!
Okay, I’m a little jealous.
Not that Bren has found someone. I’ve never felt like that towards my friend. He’s more like an older brother, but I am jealous that he’s found someone. I want that. I want my other half.
“Are they doing something with the shop?”
Bren hums. “Yeah, all three of them dressed up in matching candy outfits. They look ridiculously adorable. They have a wheel of prizes people can spin and then if people actually spend money in the shop, they get some sort of envelope filled with something. Either a coupon for next time or a grand prize golden ticket type deal. It’s really fun! ”
“If we have a break, we should take turns checking it out.”
“Yes, please! I wanna see bae.”
“You did not just call him bae. How old are you, Bren?”
“Definitely young enough to call my lover bae! I know all the hip lingo, babes. I am like so totally rad, bro. I got that rizz. Skippidy toilet,” his voice trails off, “or something.”
I can’t help but laugh at my friend. He makes my life better just for being in it, even if he’s ridiculous. Maybe especially because he’s ridiculous.
“Whatever you say, old man.”
“We’re the same age!”
“Can’t prove it!” Bren sticks out his tongue, making a farting noise with his mouth.
“Real mature,” I say, rolling my eyes at him. I go back to lining up the mugs, making sure they all look nice. Once that’s all set up, I go around to the back of the table, sitting down.
Everything is set. Now we wait for the mall to officially open and for the place to fill up with people.
Bren joins me after a bit. He turns towards me. “So, how’s the job going?”
“Same as always,” I tell him with a shrug. “It’s been busy lately because one of my coworkers just had a baby.”
“Oh yeah? That’s exciting.”
I look over at my friend. “I guess?”
“You need more excitement in your life, Leo. I worry about you sometimes.”
I worry about me too sometimes. He’s not wrong but I also never actually do anything to change anything. Life feels very gray at the moment. It hasn’t always been like this, but lately I can tell something is missing.
“It’s fine,” I tell Bren. “I’m content.” The ‘for now’ goes unsaid.
“You need to get away. Take a nice vacation. Or get laid.”
My face blooms with a bright red blush. “Bren! Don’t say that so loudly!”
Bren giggles. “It’s fine, there’s no one around to hear. And I’m serious! I think that would do wonders for you.”
“You know I’ve never done that before,” I say under my breath, crossing my arms over my chest.
“All the more reason to finally do it! At the very least, you should start dating.”
“It’s not like I have men knocking down my door trying to date me, Bren.”
“That’s because you don’t put yourself out there!”
“We are not talking about this,” I say, standing up. “Now that you’ve got Andras, you’re so ready to set me up with someone so I can have love too. It’s very sweet but also, I’m not so sure it’s welcome.”
“Shit, Leo. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly. “I’m not mad or anything. I’m just,” I let out a long breath and run my hands through my hair. “It’s fine. I know you mean well. I just feel really stuck right now. You’re probably right, but I don’t know if I’m actually ready to admit that.”
“What’s holding you back?”
That’s the question, isn’t it? What is holding me back?
I’ve liked people in the past, but none of them ever felt right. It’s like there’s a tether around my chest, squeezing me to the point of pain whenever I think about actually dating or sleeping with someone. Every time it felt so wrong.
I like to think it’s because I have a soulmate out there, waiting for me.
On the other hand, maybe I’m just way too stuck in my head to allow myself to let go.
As a phoenix, this isn’t my first lifetime.
I’m much, much older than I look. At this point, you’d think I would allow myself to find love, that I’d allow myself to open up to another person.
Gods, I’m so tired of being lonely.
“That’s an excellent question,” I finally say. “Probably something I should ask my therapist, who by the way, knows you by name.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Bren says with a chuckle that has my chest warming again.
“Do you want some coffee?”
“Yeah, I’ll take an English toffee latte.”
“Fancy fucker.”
“You love me!”
“Yeah, whatever,” I say but I make sure he catches my smile.
As I walk towards the area where the food court is, a shocking head of bright red hair catches my eye. It’s so messy yet so artfully tousled, a thick headband keeping the majority out of the owner’s face. It reminds me of the main character of an anime or cartoon.
The owner of that hair is excitedly talking to the barista. He takes his coffee and then starts to wander away, looking at every store and display with such excited intensity.
I wish I had come over sooner because then maybe I would have been able to see his face properly or even attempt to talk to him. His smile is infectious, that excitement practically palpable in the air.
Wait.
What?
Why would I want to talk to him? Because of his hair? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard myself think and I’ve thought some pretty stupid things before. I was just telling Bren I wasn’t ready to open up and then I see one pretty man and I’m ready to put myself out there?
Gods, I’m being ridiculous.
I quickly order two lattes before returning to Bren, handing him his drink. He takes a sip, humming happily at the taste. As I sip, I can’t stop looking around, hoping to spot that mop of bright red again. I can feel Bren staring at me and I pointedly ignore him.
“What’s got that smile on your face?”
I purposely frown. “Thinking about your mom.”
Bren snorts so hard I’m pretty sure he’s going to give himself a bloody nose. Serves him right.
“Dude! Who’s the immature one now, huh?”
“Still you.”
Down the hall that’s across from our booth, I see that shock of red again. My stomach does the funniest thing. It feels like my insides leap and flip around inside of me. I’m not sure what to think about that.
I think the vendor down there is doing flash tattoos. In all my lifetimes, I’ve never gotten a tattoo so I didn’t think to go check that booth out. I wish my eyesight was better so I can see what my anime main character is doing down there.
My eyes widen as the guy takes off his shirt and then lies down on the table the tattoo artist brought. Even from here, I can see that the guy is lean and toned and hot.
Welp, guess it’s my turn to have a nose bleed.
“Why is your face so red?”
I turn towards my friend, my eyes still wide. I feel like my brain is being scrambled but I do my best to act like nothing is the matter.
“Thinking about your dad this time.”
“Oh, fuck you,” Bren says, messing up my hair.
I pinch him in the side as retaliation and then we have to stop before we start wrestling and bump the table full of fragile ceramics.
I do my best to focus on the people milling around and checking everything out instead of wondering what sort of tattoo the redhead is getting.
I feel like I’m coming down with a cold or something because I feel weird all over. It feels like electricity is in the air and at any moment, I’m about to be hit by lightning. The air is filled with magical possibility.
Or maybe that’s just me hoping that magic is in the air. Life is so gray that I could use a little magic, no matter how it comes about. Sparks might hurt but at least they mean something exciting is happening.
Maybe the coffee was a bad idea because now I’m filled with jittery energy. I toss my empty cup into a nearby trash can before standing in front of Bren’s booth, talking to people and showing them how they could paint their own mugs.
I finish explaining how to use the paints to a couple of kids before standing up and turning back towards the booth. My heart stutters in my chest and my breath leaves me all at once.
There he is! He’s here! At the booth! Oh my gods!
Fuck, why am I freaking out? He’s just a guy!
My mouth is dry but even so, I do my best to speak. “Hi,” I say, the word catching in my throat. My cheeks feel so hot I might actually burn someone, but it’s fine because the guy catches my eye and grins.
“Hello,” he says. His eyes are the prettiest color I’ve ever seen. Not quite brown but not quite red. They kinda remind me of lava. I feel like I could lose myself in them.
Jesus Christ, what is going on? Lose myself in them? What the hell does that even mean?
I open my mouth to say something else but someone bumps against the guy’s back. Fuck, was that Raphael? He drops the ceramic in his hand. When it hits the ground, it shatters.
The guy stares down at his feet in horror, the color draining from his face. Then he looks back at me.
Without thinking, I reach out and grab his arm. Sparks dance across my skin and my body goes warm all over. His eyes widen even further, his cheeks bright red with embarrassment.
“Hey,” I say gently. “Are you okay?”