102 Closing the Distance (1/2)

”Hi, sorry for taking so much time. How much is it?” I asked. I heard Sebastian's footsteps approaching me and looked over my shoulder. ”What?” I asked, perplexed.

”I am paying,” he informed me. ”How much is it?” he asked again with a smile on his face. The boy looked up and said the amount. Sebastian pulled out his wallet and paid for the food. I took the packet from the man and smiled.

”Thanks for the tip, man. Have a great time with your girl!” he cheered and giddily walked away. I turned to glare at Sebastian.

”Why didn't you let me pay?” I asked him seriously.

”I make more money than you. I mooch off your groceries all the time, so it is only right that I pay back somehow. I have used my body and intelligence so far, but that isn't sufficient. You are taking the brunt of our financial burden.” He took the packet of food from me and scurried away into the kitchen.

”Are you rubbing it in?” I called after him. He looked completely embarrassed by our conversation, so I didn't want to tease him too much.

”For your age, you get a very good salary. As you slowly grow older, your salary will increase. Don't worry about it,” he replied from the kitchen. He was already transferring the food onto the plates. I peered over his shoulder and saw that he was delicately decorating the plate to maximize how nice it looked.

”What are you doing?” I asked, trying to bite back my laugh.

”We rarely eat outside and it is hard for you to dine at a restaurant, so I want to give you the firsthand experience without having to go out and be around people.” I rolled my eye.

”Don't treat me like an invalid. I traveled far and wide for my translation gigs. I am okay with eating food outside. It is you who freaks out over cleanliness and service.” I patted his back. ”Bring the food in. I'll clear the table.”

I put away the papers and waited for him to slowly place everything on the desk. I was looking at a message from a student and remembered what Sebastian had told me. Apparently, this student had a crush on me. I smirked and looked back at the other messages. Indeed, he did message me a lot, but nothing untoward to show me what Sebastian was claiming was true.

The last of the plates were placed and Sebastian huffed as he sat beside me.

”What do you want to watch?” I asked, pointing towards the laptop.

”I mostly watch documentaries,” he said, shrugging. I tossed him a smile.

”Let me show you some crime thrillers, then.” I giggled as I pulled up the website and searched for some foreign crime thrillers to look at. ”Promise to not nitpick at the story.” I wagged my finger at him and he grimaced.

”I can't promise to do that,” he said frankly.

”Try,” I urged.

He was going to be so tired after watching this. I slowly munched on the vegetable wrap and watched his face. He was very confused in the beginning and then horrified.

”They are not wearing gloves in the crime scene!” he yelled, appalled.

”Yes, they aren't wearing biohazard gear for all the bodily fluids that you see in the room either,” I fuelled the fire. He nodded vigorously and stared, his food forgotten. Feeling sorry for him, I pushed a piece of wrap in front of his mouth. His eyes flickered to it and then he opened his mouth, beckoning me to put it in.

I took upon myself the role of the personal feeder and let him nibble at the wrap and move his face away when he wanted to watch the screen intently.

As I watched him, I wondered if the stuttering of my heartbeat or the comfort and warmth I felt around him meant I liked him. For someone who claimed to be good at communicating and helping Sebastian connect to other humans, I felt like I was the one lacking in skills.

I hated mulling over things and not knowing. The hunger to know the answer made me ache. So, I wondered how I would find out. Not that I could do anything apart from acknowledging his emotions and mine. I couldn't be in a relationship.

Someone like me... someone so broken didn't deserve to be beside someone who is sacrificing not only their time but also their emotions to make me feel better. I couldn't promise him happiness. Instead, I could promise him misery and misfortune. In this case, how could I have the right to answer my own question?

I was being selfish when I said I wanted to find out if I liked him. My next move to prove or disprove my hypothesis would give him false hope. I didn't want to see that in his eyes.