Wish you were in my shoes

Chapter 7: Unresolved business

Christian got in front of Mogue, trying really hard not to take the redhead and make him leave from that place. He was sure he would be thrown out and the redhead would be alone to defend himself. He wanted to help him now, to defend him, but it would have been too easy to be allowed.

“The f**k you doing? Get out of the way I want to see what they have left this time.”

“This time? You mean it’s not the first time?”

“I wish.”

“Burglars?”

“Mmm .. don’t think so.”

“What if there is still someone there?”

“I so f*****g wish they were! The beating they deserve…”

The look in the man’s eyes was a bit crazy.

“But I also wish they wouldn’t have found me so soon.”

“There’s a big story there.”

“Yeah, there is one you will not find out. Let’s get in, I might not have any cups for the coffee anymore.”

They entered the one-bedroom apartment and there was absolute chaos. Clothes ripped, broken chairs and table, there was nothing left untouched, pieces of fabric everywhere. The owner got a broken cup from the floor and threw it on the wall yelling.

“I hate him so f*****g much! God damn f*****g coward! Cheater and egoist, I wish I never met him. Because of this, all this, I can’t keep a damn thing at my place, no memories, nothing.”

Christian looked around and sighed, on one wall there was a sign, the sign of the bastards who did only foolish things on what was once his turf, but he shut his mouth and said nothing.

“Soooo … You’re that important huh?”

“Important my ass, he just wants me back because I got away. There is no other reason for all this. But he doesn’t want to ask for it, he wants me to go to him and beg or something as foolish. As if he doesn’t know me! Like hell, it would happen. LIKE HELL!”

Mogue was breathing fast, his emotions out of place, and he realized what he said in the last minutes, that he let himself discovered. He thought it was foolish, but didn’t feel bad, on the contrary, it felt really good to get it out of his system. But why was the other man not asking anything? It was so out of his character.

“Sooo … do you have any monetary debt to this man?”

“No. Not a cent.”

“To anyone else maybe?”

“Nope, no debt. Why are you asking?”

“Because I saw you working for so many places, and doing so many jobs, that I don’t understand why are you living in a place like this.”

“What’s it to you? It’s my deal where I live and what I do.”

Christian sighed. He knew he was crazy but he had a plan. Now he had to figure out how to convince the redhead.

“Are you trying to do something with a larger sum of money?”

“It’s not your bu…”

Christan took Mogue’s face in his hands and looked right in his eyes. They were red-rimmed, watery, and big, the green in them vibrant. One tear overflew and it was caught by the other’s finger and whipped.

“You can tell me, I won’t say it to anyone else. I am here and I want to help you. I need to help you or else I will go to the asshole who did this and break some limbs.”

“How do you know who to go to?”

“Oh really? I mean, he’s not being very subtle, I can see a lot of white snakes in this room, and I don’t think it’s your hobby to draw them.”

“You know, normal people don’t know the sign, most people don’t even understand it is a snake.”

“O wow, my secret is uncovered, what will I do now?”

His voice was full of irony, his body was trembling from the impossibility of doing anything even though he wished it.

“I am not in that kind of crowd … not anymore. So you don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m no boss, no ruler, no … no nothing. Yeah, I still have some people really well placed but that’s it. I like to know things. So let me help.”

“What if I say no?”

Christian looked around the room, while still holding the other’s face in his hands.

“I would have to try harder. I will try harder if you want but how about we go to my place and have that coffee first? Let’s talk.”

As angry as he was some minutes before, now he was calm and warm. He had to help the man, there was no other option. He turned his head to the man in front of him and smiled, put his forehead on the other, closed his eyes, and breathed out loud. His hands slowly went from the other’s face to his neck and massaged slowly.

“Don’t tell me to go away because I can’t. You … put a spell on me and now I am a bit obsessed with you. Let me help little red. Tell me how much or how little, I don’t want you in my dept or anything like that, I will let you pay me back or … I don’t know. I’m not good at this. Not good at all. But I want to be good to you.”

“I don’t like to be obsessed over. You scare me a bit, you are too good to be trusted almost.”

Christian opened his mouth to say something but Mogue covered it with his hand.

“I didn’t say I won’t let you … maybe not help me, but get me out of here to your place to have a coffee. I’m free until tomorrow night cause I went to the police, so don’t let me change my mind and let’s go. And don’t you dare send someone to him. I don’t need saving, I’m no princess in distress and you are not my prince charming.”

Mogue laughed after his last words. He felt lighter and he allowed himself to be a bit shaky. Christian smiled and took him by his hand, leading him outside and stopping a taxi. The ride was silent, but not unpleasant. Christian kept playing with Mogue’s fingers. They got out of the cab and Christian took Mogue by his hand again.

“First stop the non-stop market near my flat cause I have no coffee in my house.”

Mogue’s laugh made everything better, lighter.

“How the f**k does someone live without coffee in his house? How do you wake up to work?”

“There’s a good coffee shop a few blocks from here?”

“Entitled.”

“No, I’m not. It’s just that I have no time for this. I am a busy man, with a busy schedule.”

“Yeah, and what will you do tomorrow with me? Get me out cause you have a busy schedule?”

Christian looked at Mogue and smiled shily.

“Will you really stay?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Mogue realized his mistake and his face got all red. He just invited himself to another’s person’s house. He never did that, how did the brunette man manage to make him so relaxed?

“Let’s talk inside. And let’s just say that I haven’t had a week off since long ago.”

They got in, got their shoes off, and Christian was stopped when trying to go to his kitchen by a very head-spinning kiss from the redhead. It was fire, it was hot and brain-melting. Their chemistry was out of this world, and it could be felt. Christian dropped the coffee on the floor and pushed the redhead on the door. There were hands everywhere, touching, feeling, caressing. Christian would have slapped himself for what he was going to do next but it was so damn necessary.

“Stop.”

“Huh? Wha..? Why?”

Mogue had a confused look on his face, a bit of hurt in his eyes.

“Red, trust me when I say that I want you bad! I would have you here on the door, waking up all the neighbors. But I really, really want to do more than f**k you. Let’s get inside, tell me however much you want to tell me, I’ll tell you about my plan, and then maybe I get to … massage you a bit before you fall asleep… or not.”

Christian winked and smiled seeing the other’s look of incredulity.

“No prince charming here, I promise you.”

“Ok, then do the damn coffee. Or should I do it? I mean, I don’t want your coffee machine to break so soon.”

Mogue was giggling and Christian loved the sound.