Waru had been helping though. In more ways that Aelius was prepared to acknowledge.
Dropping his keys into the bowl on the countertop, the young man divested himself of his coat and work bag. Shoes were deposited under the shoe rack, and he walked into the small kitchen to start a kettle of water. He filled the stainless steel pot about half-way before popping it on the stove and turning the burner on. With that water on, he turned his focus to putting together a single serving of coffee in his french press. The day had felt long and tiring. Putting himself out there for a gig meant putting on the face of someone he wasn’t. Someone calm, collected, put together, and confident. The latter probably the most difficult as he found himself wanting to apologize for mistakes or even questions he had. So when the day was done, he felt drained and done with people.
Perhaps Waru not being there was a blessing in disguise. Though, he had been silently hoping for the man to help bolster against the mental downward slope, Aelius felt himself teetering on. Ah well. There was other means to cope. Coffee being one. His journal, tucked safely within the night-stand drawer, being the other.
With everything prepped, Aelius need only to wait for the kettle to heat up. Turning, he moved to head into the bedroom to get his journal when his eyes caught sight of something on the coffee table. “Did Waru actually leave me a note?” Curious, Aelius walked over and found not only a note, but cash tucked within the paper note.
Brows furrowed as he tipped the cash out and thumbed the note open.
‘Quit being an idiot. You have to stop Spiraling. I want you to go and do something that you enjoy.’ It was signed by his brother Trey.
He could feel a heat rise into his face as he tucked the money back into the paper and pratically threw the note back onto the table. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.” He growled out through clenched teeth as anger and shame roared within him. Not only had Trey felt the need to intercede and try to convince Aelius to ‘get over it’ in not so many words, he had gone ahead and left cash as if Aelius was some sort of charity case. It begged the question if Trey was aware of Aelius’s money problems or if it was genuinely an offer out of brotherly love? Either way it felt like a slap to the face. Aelius had worked hard to build what he had. Though it certainly wasn’t close to what Trey had, it was his own. Something Aelius had done himself with no one’s help. His pride, already incredibly battered and bruised, had not been ready for yet another blow.
Like a storm cloud, Aelius moved through the apartment his mood evident with the slamming of the nightstand drawer that scared poor Beans from her spot on the bed. She scurried to the underside of the piece of furniture, leaving the man who had adopted her to feel a modicum of regret for scaring her. But, still it didn’t shift his mood.
He paused in the bedroom to change into more casual attire of sweatpants and a hoodie. Journal in hand, he left the room to the living room, eyes narrowing on the damn note. “Should just mail it back to him.” He groused.
Knowing Trey, the man probably wanted Aelius to get out and about and meet new people. Try to forget everything that had been going on since the end of summer. Immediately, Aelius’s brain went to club, bars and the upcoming event he’d seen advertised. What better way than the damned event that was being held for Valentines day. People would certainly be there and likely more than a few would be eligible. In fact, he wouldn’t be at all surprised if his brother would be there too, rubbing elbows, doing the charitable thing while making face. Once upon a time Aelius would have enjoyed that exact thing. Meeting people, conversing, flirting…
Aelius had intended to stay as far away from the place as possible. In fact, he had n0 intent in mingling with anyone than those he deemed necessary. The last damn thing he needed was to go anywhere near a gathering meant for couples or those seeking possible significant others. Just the thought of it swung Aelius’s mood from anger to a moodier, darker mental state.
The note had been bad enough…but that ******** money…
The kettle went off, pulling Aelius from his downward track. He turned away from the coffee table to tend to the kettle and coffee. Turning off the stove, he grabbed the kettle and poured its contents into the french press. Carlessness nearly ended up with him scalding himself when hot water and coffee grounds sloshed out of the press due to his lack of control. Cursing, he finished pouring, put the lid on, and grabbed a towel to clean up his mess.
Pulling his phone from the pocket of his sweats, he punched in Trey’s name. A blank screen of a text now faced him and he contemplated a response. Fingers moved over the keyboard with ease as he penned a response to his brother’s ’generosity’.
TEXT
Quote:
I didn’t ask for your input or help. I don’t need it or your money either.
It was short. Perhaps a bit too short, but Aelius just didn’t want to get into it via text. Otherwise he’d be standing there, leaning against the counter for quite a long while to pen out everything he wanted to say. Throwing his phone onto silent (he didn’t want to deal with any smart-a** repsonse either right now. Best to just ignore it for now), he turned back to the coffee table, grabbed the note and money, and turned back to the kitchen. There he tossed the offending items into who had become his ‘junk drawer’. It wasn’t a terribly full drawer, but it served the purpose of housing any odd bits and ends he didn’t know what to do with. It was also a drawer he didn’t go into often, so it was the perfect place to hide the evidence of his brother’s attempt at ‘helping’. Did quite the opposite in fact.
The drawer was slammed shut.
Aelius walked into the living room and practically flopped onto the couch where he sat forward, elbows on knees, his face cradled within his hands. He was utterly done with the day now. What had been a trying day had quickly plummeted into a s**t one. “******** hell.” He mumbled into his hands before rubbing at his face.
He contemplated going straight to bed. Who cared if it was only a little after 6. Waru wasn’t home to judge him for it. Beans may even grace him with her presence if he settled down.
It didn’t take much convincing on his part. He paused on his way to bed to tend to the coffee. Pressing it down and putting it into the fridge to be drank later. Later likely being tomorrow morning if he was lucky enough. He flicked off the lights to the main living area before heading to the bedroom where cold covers, except a slightly warm spot where Bean had been laying, greeting him. Slipping into them, he rolled onto what was normally Waru’s side as he pulled his own pillow onto his head. The faint smell of his roommate still slung to the pillow that Aelius situated himself on. Legs curled upward, arms tucking the pillow close to him. There he sulked within his thoughts in the darkness. At some point, he felt Bean join him on the bed as she curled up along his spine. Her purr, a pillow on his head, and the oddly comforting scent of Waru eventually lulled the man to sleep.
Whimsical Blue
Tag for the text sent.