《Jason [BL]》 Chapter 1: No Escape Pat. Pat. Pat. Pit. Pat. Pat. A lean, young blond man ran for his life with a small child cocooned tightly in his arms. The rain was pouring down heavily, and every panicked step made a squelching sound against the grassed ground beneath him. The confused introverted child held on to his ''mother''s'' neck tightly, ignoring the shallow cut on the other¡¯s neck. The mansion, their once-home, was behind them as they ran through the backyard straight into a maze trimmed out of bushes. ¡®Jason and his tastes¡­¡¯ The blond thought to himself, wishing he had practiced going through the maze on a regular day. ¡®Well, too late for regrets¡­¡¯ He swallowed thickly and charged forward, hoping he would make it out on the other end before he got caught. He ran as far as he could, minutes dragging into hours and the path before him expanding perceptually. ¡°Set it all on fire.¡± A voice calmly commanded, somewhere far from the foot of the garden by the mansion. The young blond turned a corner to be met with blazing flames that were spreading uncontrollably around him. He held the back of his child¡¯s head tightly and terrifyingly as an ominous feeling bled in his gut. The man quickly picked up the pace, unaware of the multiple guards closing in on him from different directions. Smoke fumes and spikes of orange danced in his sight as he barely missed the exit until he felt an intense pain at the back of his skull, followed by a ¡®thawack¡¯ sound after. He couldn¡¯t hold on much longer, and his vision began to blur before it dimmed out altogether.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was looking up at a tall, lavender-grey-haired figure holding his child with a laid-back expression. It was late into the night, but the man was still dressed in his work attire¡ªdress pants and a tucked-in white shirt. He then noticed the two bodyguards flanking his own sides. The men weren¡¯t restraining him until he saw his son and charged forward towards the other man. The men in suits caged both his arms, holding him back. The man before him simply smiled¡ªsomething close to a confident smirk. ¡°Let go of me!¡± The blond cried. ¡°Give me back my child!¡± The lilac-haired man stopped smiling and raised a confused brow. ¡°That''s heartbreaking to hear. You mean our child?¡± ¡°... you don''t deserve him...¡± The blond barely choked out. ¡°It¡¯s alright, because he¡¯ll be staying with me for the time being anyway.¡± ¡°Wha-?!¡± ¡°While you have time to recover yourself," ¡°No!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be for long. That is, as long as you don¡¯t make it.¡± The taller man¡¯s grin was back. ¡°No! Where are you taking him? You can''t-!¡± The panic was rising in the blond¡¯s voice. ¡°I''m not taking him anywhere. You''ll just be out of contact for a bit.¡± The man patted the young child¡¯s back once. He was hugging his neck and resting his head on his shoulder silently. ¡°What? Where? Why are you doing this?!¡± ¡°Babe, I''m looking out for you. You¡¯re unstable; you need some time off.¡± ¡°Are you serious?! How can you say all this?! I¡¯m not! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s unstable! Jason¡ªplease! Stop!¡± The blond pleaded. ¡°Let go of me!¡± He thrashed and struggled, but the men were twice his size and strength. ¡°¡­Jason¡­please¡­I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± His eyes softened with glistening tears in the corners as he looked directly at him. Jason, the lavender-haired man eyed the guards once, who released their hold. The blond ran towards him and clutched him tightly. ¡°Jason please don''t do this¡­don''t take him away. You know how much I love him. I won''t do it again¡ªplease.¡± ¡°I know, I know, Maxie.¡± Jason pretended to calm him down, placing a hand on the back of the other¡¯s skull and kissing his hair. ¡°But you said the same thing last time. This is hard for me too; you''ll only be gone for a couple months.¡± A sob ripped through the blond¡¯s throat. ¡°Take him.¡± Max knew there was no winning once he felt the large hands on him again. He watched miserably as Jason slowly turned around while a pinching sensation pierced his neck. Soon enough, he lost consciousness and descended into darkness again. One of the bodyguards hoisted his limp body up. ¡°And would you do me a favor and twist one of his ankles. He¡¯s lucky I love him too much to break a knee cap just for even attempting to run away from me.¡± Jason darkly ordered. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Max opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He sat up feeling weak, with bandages wrapped around his lean neck and a sharp pain shooting through his ankle, which was also wrapped. ¡®When did this happen¡­? Maybe when I tripped?¡¯ He surveyed his surroundings, and it appeared to be an infirmary. There was a knock on the door, and a nurse walked in. ¡°Good morning. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­been better. Where am I?¡± Max croaked. ¡°You¡¯re at the Community Mental Hospital. You¡¯ve been admitted since yesterday. After the doctor performs a physical on you, I¡¯ll take you to your room, where you¡¯ll be staying.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡®A mental hospital? Me? Jason has absolutely gone crazy. Does he realize what he¡¯s doing?! And why?¡¯ ¡°I need to speak to someone!¡± The blond urged. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not allowed to make those decisions. Also, your guardian has strictly advised us not to allow you outside or any contact with anyone.¡± ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t a prison?¡± ¡°We were told you have been very unstable and are not fully aware of your actions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! How can you believe everything?!¡± ¡°Sir, please calm down.¡± His behavior was only convincing the nurse even more. Dammit. The doctor soon entered the room and quickly examined Max¡¯s vitals and ankle. He gave the blond a crutch and allowed the nurse to guide him to his room. ¡°Welcome again, this is where you¡¯ll be staying.¡± She pointed in front of a door. She also briefly went over their sleep and wake-up times and the mandatory orientation in the afternoon. He opened the door, and there was already a patient inside. Big guy, built, taller than him, and bald, staring into space blankly. ¡°This is Anthen, your roommate. Though he doesn¡¯t respond very much, make yourself comfortable.¡± She dropped his bag on one of the single beds in the blank white room. ¡®This is great.¡¯ He was stuck in a mental hospital with a vegetable of a person who continued to stare out in space with blank, unblinking eyes. The blond sighed and took a seat on the bed, with the patient seated solidly on the floor of the same bed. As soon as the door closed shut, the man whipped his head towards him and smiled, scaring the living daylights out of the blond. ¡°Hello there.¡± The bald man, Anthen greeted in the most natural way. ¡°Newcomer? You don¡¯t look that abnormal to me.¡± ¡°What the? What about you¡ªy-you¡¯re normal?¡± Max stuttered. ¡°Of course. Some of us just do it to be left alone.¡± The man smiled. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll show you the ropes; just follow me.¡± ¡°Thanks at least..." The blond thanked.
¡°Papa.¡± The small child from before, with ultraviolet hair and dull green eyes sought out. ¡°Yes, my little Leon.¡± Jason was walking past him, home from work, but halted for a brief moment to flash him a wide smile. ¡°Where¡¯s mama?¡± ¡°Mom will be back soon; don¡¯t worry. Do you want to play with Henna?¡± Jason referred to one of the main maids who was in charge of looking after Leon. Jason left his son in the living room with the caretaker and his toys while he retreated to his room. After a nice shower, he climbed into bed, passing a glance at the family frame of the three of them on their nightstand. The three of them were bunched together in the snapshot; he was taking the selfie while Max was to his right, grinning with his eyes closed, and Leon blankly staring at the camera, all the way to the right. He had several pictures of them throughout the house and even a few frames on his office desk.
Later that night, Max was laying in his bed, unable to sleep and missing Leon, hoping the kid was doing okay. But then again, no matter how psychotic Jason was, he was still the only person in the world he¡¯d trust their child with. Jason loved his son too much. His thoughts were interrupted by a snore from his roommate, which evoked a sigh. He struggled to shun them out. At one point, he may have fallen asleep because he awoke to a loud banging on their room door. There was an announcement for breakfast, and he was not in the slightest mood to get up. He barely slept the night before. The time was barely 7 A.M. ¡°Better get up unless you want to miss breakfast, those lines can be long.¡± His roommate was already up and getting dressed. It looks like there was no other way.
Character Profiles: Chapter 2: Back Home He pushed himself up, grabbed his crutch, and followed along. They made it to the cafeteria, and initially, the blond didn¡¯t have much of an appetite for the change in environment and funky smells. As much as he hated being here, at least it forced some time apart from Jason. Afterwards, he had a sit-down appointment with one of the psychiatrists. He tried to play along, but lying wasn¡¯t his strong suit. Midway through their conversation, Max blurted. ¡°When will I be able to leave this place?¡± ¡°¡­That depends on your progress. You have a history of attempted suicide.¡± ¡°What?¡± The blond choked. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t. I was just trying to run away from my husband.¡± ¡°Then what about the cut on your throat? Was that inflicted by your husband?¡± Max felt the bandage over the cut on his throat. ¡°No¡­that was me¡­but it''s not what it looks like¡ª¡± ¡°Maxwell, I as well as the entire staff is here to help you. We want to give you peace of mind and aid in your recovery so you can return to society.¡± The blond heaved a sigh as he ignored the rest of the spiel. ¡®He wasn¡¯t good at this, was he now? It looks like there was no way out unless he cooperated a bit¡­¡¯ Later, they had a group session where they also went over the basic rules again, such as no food in their rooms, cleanliness, not touching others, etc.
In a few weeks, Max¡¯s wavy, blond neck-length hair was now inching near his shoulders. His natural roots were showing more of their natural dark, dirty brown color as well, and he had lost quite a bit of weight. He also just generally look and felt tired. One afternoon, Max was outside in the yard in his mental institution uniform when he heard a familiar honk. He turned to find Jason carrying Leon until they were close enough for the five-year-old to run to him. The blond couldn¡¯t believe his eyes and blinked twice before turning his whole body in their direction, a sad smile stretching across his face. He was not expecting them at all¡ªbut then again, when did Jason ever tell him anything? Max rushed as fast as the recovering ankle could allow him and scooped the running child up into his arms, kissing him instantly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring him sooner?!¡± He reprimanded when Jason was right behind them in his usual three-piece suit. ¡°My bad? I was wrapped up with work.¡± Jason feigned an innocent smile. ¡°Don¡¯t fall. What happened to your ankle?¡± The purple-haired held the other¡¯s waist. The blond ignored him and brushed him away, not willing to forgive him just yet. ¡°Liar.¡± Max accused without even looking his way. ¡°Don¡¯t I get some love?¡± Jason probed like a puppy. ¡°No. You¡¯re the reason I''m here in the first place.¡± ¡°Fair enough, I guess.¡± The taller man agreed, but that didn¡¯t stop him from embracing him from behind and kissing his cheek. He missed him. He rarely spent any time away from the blond ever since they were married. He hated to do this, but this was for his Max. His love needed to be perfect and go through this to realize never to run away or leave him again. Max averted his face to dodge the kiss, and that stung Jason, but he stifled himself for a change. For now, he¡¯ll allow the small rebellion to slide as cute. While Max rocked Leon, Jason crossed his arms and stood in the background. While they were out, Anthen waved at them from afar before heading back in. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Jason immediately inquired. ¡°Nothing, just a roommate.¡± The blond quietly answered, since he knew from experience that Jason was not going to let it be. The lavender-haired stared at him with disbelief. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°¡­ Excuse me for a moment, you two stay right here.¡± Jason excused himself and entered the building casually. Max found it unusual but could care less.
The Chief Executive of the hospital entered his office room to find an unexpected lavender-grey haired individual taking over his desk. Before he could fully close the door or register the other, a sharp pen came flying his way, barely missing its mark and striking the wall instead. The older man winced and turned to face Jason on his desk, with his feet up on the desk. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± ¡°Nice office you have here.¡± Jason colloquially remarked. ¡°Looks like all my donations really helped.¡± ¡°Of course¡­you¡¯re one of our largest patrons¡­but even so, to be in this room is¡­¡± ¡°I left you in care of someone very special to me, yet what do I uncover?¡± The purple-haired slowly mouthed, while playing with one of the paper weights in his hands, lining the corners with his finger. ¡°That he¡¯s rooming with another mental patient.¡± ¡°Ah. That, I apologize. I was not made aware of that. I didn¡¯t handl¡ª¡± ¡°Are you not in charge of this place? Is this how you run this place? I wonder what would happen if the other patrons found out?¡± Jason trailed off arrogantly. ¡°Please. There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll make sure it''s taken care of right away. There is no need for further action. It was all negligence on my part, I apologize.¡± ¡°Negligence, indeed.¡± The lavender haired repeated it without mercy. The director instantly promised to separate the blond and not make such mistakes again.
After Max unwillingly separated from Leon and Jason, a nurse approached him to change rooms. ¡°Why? I¡¯m fine here, I don¡¯t mind.¡± Max suggested. ¡°No, please, we insist. Your husband also directed us¡­¡± She told. Max understood immediately. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get my stuff.¡± He had no choice, especially if he didn¡¯t want to endanger others. He said farewell to his roommate and settled into the lonely new room. He hated being alone and isolated with his thoughts. ¡°I want you to be mine.¡± Jason¡¯s words echoed in the empty locker hall. Max¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he stood there, speechless. He had no idea Jason felt the same¡­ It all felt like a dream. ¡°Be my mate, and I promise I won¡¯t ever let you go." ¡®Yeah, literally¡­¡¯ the blond confirmed. ¡®Even now, no matter how much he tried to leave Jason, or fixed things, nothing ever changed. Jason won¡¯t let him go.¡¯
After a month, Max was finally discharged, or maybe Jason had something to do with it¡ªhe¡¯d never know. ¡°They let you out sooner than expected, hm?¡± The lavender-haired remarked with an innocent smile like he wasn¡¯t the reason behind all this. ¡°Duh. Because I don¡¯t have any mental issues.¡± ¡®Unlike someone.¡¯ Max felt like saying. For the most part, he was still withdrawn from Jason and ignored him. The blond¡¯s ankle had long healed, and he no longer needed the crutch. ¡°You can¡¯t still be mad at me, right?¡± Jason poses, to which he received no response. ¡°I was only trying to help you.¡± There was no answer as Max put his stuff away in closets. ¡°How¡¯s your ankle? Let me massage it.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Max gave him the cold shoulder, but Jason grabbed his shoulders and sat him down on the bed. The lavender-haired automatically grabbed his good foot and began massaging it affectionately. Jason always had a way of getting to him. Even now, the way he was so transfixed on his foot, smiling while massaging him so gently. It really messed with the blond¡¯s head because it reminded him¡ªthis was the person he loved. Jason was an outstanding and very successful person and Max had known him personally for years now. Since childhood, to be exact¡­but then, when did he become so fearful and deranged? Jason moved on to the other ankle, handling it with utmost care. In the midst of his massage, Jason¡¯s pale hand gripped his ankle tightly. The blond winced once and let out an unfiltered cry when the other bent it. ¡°Jason! Wait¡ªstop, that hurts¡ª!¡± Jason refused to stop. ¡°Hey!¡± The lavender-haired relaxed his hand. ¡°¡­You finally said my name.¡± He spoke after a solid minute. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± Max averted his eyes with guilt and disbelief. ¡®How could you be so peculiar and not understand that?¡¯ Jason flexed his ankle once more when the blond took too long to answer. ¡°S-stop¡ªI¡¯m not, okay, I¡¯m not mad at you anymore¡ª¡± He instinctively let out. Jason perked up at him. ¡°Hm? Prove it then.¡± Now he was just pushing it and that was typical Jason. Max wanted to cringe, but he surrendered and scooted closer, wrapping his arms around the other¡¯s neck. The blond was powerless, he learned that over the years. Once positioned, he did their secret little thing. When Jason would come home from work, or even before he left, anytime they met after a while, Max would hold his lover¡¯s face with one hand and affectionately kiss the other cheek with a smile. He did the same now, but it felt nothing alike. Yet, Jason still loved it like nothing else. Chapter 3: Leave Me Alone The lavender-haired captured his lips right after, feeling content and hugging his chest. ¡°I missed you so much¡­! If it wasn''t for little Leo keeping my company, I would¡¯ve gone insane.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re the one who put me in there in the first place.¡± Max pierced. ¡°... so I did. But I won''t be doing that again. That was a bad decision.¡± Jason confessed, embracing him tighter. Although the blond doubted that. Jason was the one who needed help, but he refused to acknowledge it. And he would get in trouble if he mentioned it. The blond¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a cool hand crawling up under his shirt. He shrugged away, trying to put some distance between them. The last thing he was in the mood for was intimacy. Jason ignores the pushbacks and continues to enforce his hand and lean his face forward for a kiss, to the point where Max had to exclaim. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± The lavender-haired inched back, staring at him stunned by the sudden, uncharacteristic outburst. The door knocked open, and their small child peered in. ¡°Mom?¡± he blankly called out. The blond was already up and walking towards him, leaving Jason be. Forcing a smile and fixing his shirt, he hoisted the child up. ¡°Hey baby, why are you still up?¡± He carried him away without even looking back. Jason¡¯s jaw tightened, his expression unchanged and stern, but eyes darker by the second. He¡¯ll let it be. For now. Max will come around; he always does, he told himself.
However, their rapport didn¡¯t get any better. Max would pretty much ignore Jason¡¯s presence unless he was called out. He mostly tended to Leon¡¯s needs and used the child as a shield. The lavender-haired still made him kiss him goodbye, but it was obvious to anyone that Max was just a lifeless body standing there, giving a bleak, emotionless kiss. It was beginning to agitate Jason. Max was positioning his pillow and blankets on one of the longer couches in the living room. ¡°¡­What the hell is this?¡± A sharp voice startled him from the end of the room. It was Jason. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep here.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be thinking of sleeping here?¡± The taller man¡¯s face was distorted. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re sleeping with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep with you on the bed.¡± Max rebelled. ¡°Max. We agreed, no matter what, we would sleep together. It has to be in our bedroom.¡± Jason¡¯s voice was dark and serious, but the blond tried not to cower. ¡°That¡¯s when you kept your part of the agreement.¡± The blond stared back at him, eye to eye, with vengeance and hurt. Jason¡¯s jaw visibly clenched, standing closer to him now and glowering down. ¡°Don¡¯t make me force you.¡± Max¡¯s shoulders relaxed; he was not afraid anymore. ¡°Then force me. What¡¯s stopping you? Isn¡¯t that how you¡¯ve always done it?¡± He choked the last part out, every flashback ever replaying in his mind, bringing silent tears to his eyes all on their own. He didn¡¯t even realize the thin stream of tears coming down his cheeks. ¡®Why was he crying? He was supposed to be keeping a strong, unrelenting front.¡¯ The blond wiped his face after Jason noticed them too. The lavender-haired, to his surprise, left with haste, storming out. The blond believed somewhere deep in Jason¡¯s heart that he knew he was wrong. About everything. All the lies, abuse, deception, force, and so on. Sure, from Jason¡¯s perspective, he could easily force the blond but, dammit. He wanted to at least try to go back to how they were. Furthermore, Max already attempted to run away from this house, injuring himself and almost Leon in the process. The last thing Jason wanted was to aggravate his lover¡¯s doubt. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Jason resorted to their room and dumped himself on the bed with spite, pulling the sheets over him in one go. However, hours clocked away before Jason could gain anything close to sleep. This was their bed. It felt so empty; there was nothing and no one within arm¡¯s length for him to hold. This was the same bed they made love to so many times, Max crying out loud, in pain, in pleasure, and in fear. The lavender rolled over to his stomach, but eventually he sat up, planting a hand over his forehead and heaving a sigh. ¡®This feels like d¨¦j¨¤ vu.¡¯ Jason dragged himself out of bed and trudged to the living room, where the blond was sleeping soundlessly. He stared down at the blond''s curled body before climbing over him, his silhouette shadowing over the sleeping figure. Max stirred, rolling over and laying more on his back. Jason¡¯s hand found the other¡¯s neck and gripped it loosely. ¡°Why are you doing this to me? Then you hate it when I act a certain way¡­¡± The blond twitched before cracking an eye open, instantly alarmed to see a pitch-black face in the dark staring down at him with piercing, glowing turquoise eyes. Before he could panic, the grip on his throat tightened, and he began choking. The blond gawked, but Jason continued. ¡°Why won¡¯t you look at me? Why do you force me to hurt you?¡± He glowered. Max could only choke under his grasp, clawing at his hand. ¡°Mmmh.¡± The sleeping blond mumbled. The lavender hair blinked; he hadn¡¯t moved at all. That was all in his head. Meh.
Max woke up in the morning, with thin streams of sunlight sneaking through the dark purple curtains of their bedroom and a weight behind him. ¡®Wait, bedroom?¡¯ The blond attempted to jerk up but suddenly noticed an arm locking him in place. He peered over his shoulder to find his husband sleeping against his back. The blond sighed. ¡®Of course.¡¯ At this point, he couldn¡¯t tell whether to be pointlessly angry again or just stop caring. Ultimately, he briskly freed himself from the other¡¯s hold, waking him up in the process. Max was tired of questioning and arguing with him, so he simply decided to climb out, but a hand stopped him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jason blurted, his voice demanding but his eyes missing him. ¡°Stay.¡± Max tried to shake his hand off, which irritated Jason even more. "Just how long do you plan to ignore me like this?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Answer me. I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± Jason pulls him in closer and cages him in his arms from behind. "Dammit, Jason¡ªis it so hard to understand? I don¡¯t want to deal with you more than I have to¡ªstop! Let me go!¡± Max began struggling under the iron cage, which felt suffocating. He couldn¡¯t believe these same arms were all his security. In the midst of his thrashing, Max managed to slip an arm out but ended up accidentally slapping him. The lavender-haired paused, eyes wide. The blond staggered away when he was finally outside the lion¡¯s grip. The blond would lie if he said he didn¡¯t feel at all guilty. However, in one swift motion, Jason grabbed him by the elbow and threw him on the bed, forcibly taking his lips. The lavender-haired held him down roughly and bit his tongue. ¡°Mh!¡± Max gagged and shut his eyes until a knock on the door interrupted them. ¡°Master Jason. Your secretary is on the phone.¡± ¡°Che.¡± Jason audibly clicked his tongue. On any other day, he¡¯d ignore his secretary, but the fact that he was calling Jason in the first place was already a rarity, so it must¡¯ve been a serious situation back at the company. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡± He mumbled under his breath before climbing off. He followed the maid out the door while Max took a moment to gather himself mentally and physically, wiping his mouth. Jason had to report back to the company, so he quickly wordlessly got dressed, pulled on his blazer, and skipped out on breakfast thanks to his new foul mood. In fact, for once, he didn¡¯t even force Max to see him off at the door as he normally always would.
After combating the task at hand, for the rest of the day, Jason sat in his office, skimming through and signing documents. He eventually took a break, staring into space in silence while his finger autonomously tapped the desk. As thoughts played in his head, his eyes appeared to get darker and darker. ¡®My patience is running out.¡¯ It was beginning to get on his nerves. He was trying to give Max some time, but this wasn¡¯t working. ¡®Dammit.¡¯ Since that time, Jason had increased the security around the manor, and Max also wasn¡¯t allowed to work anymore, at least for now. He couldn¡¯t risk the blond running away from him again. Max was much more serious this time; he¡¯s never attempted eloping before. ¡®But then again, who wouldn¡¯t after learning what the he did¡­¡¯ ¡°-ir. Sir.¡± Jason didn¡¯t even realize when his secretary was calling out to him. The lavender-haired didn¡¯t budge, and that was beginning to irritate the secretary. He was too used to this. ¡°Ja¡ª¡± ¡°Is there a way to wipe someone¡¯s memories?¡± Jason abruptly imposed looking up at the man in his room. Chapter 4: Kwon His secretary, Kwon only stood there wordlessly. Kwon was an old colleague of Jason''s around the same height, fair-skinned with dark navy hair parted in the middle and a pair of rectangular spectacles adorning his face. They studied at the same college and attended the same internship. Once Jason was able to sell his app idea to the same company and later become his own brand, Kwon decided to work along with him. While he never regretted that, having Jason as a boss was a whole other anomaly. Eccentric was an understatement. ¡°What exactly are you planning now? What did I do this time? Did you even listen to my report?¡± Jason sighed, sitting back in his chair. ¡°Not you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of extreme. Though I wouldn¡¯t put it past you, but why memories?¡± Kwon was never one to hold back his criticism. ¡°Hm...¡± His boss pouted. ¡°¡­my beautiful wife doesn''t even look at me anymore. I miss that bright, warm smile.¡± ¡°Hm. Must be tough.¡± The navy haired responded in the most apathetic, flat tone. Jason eyed him. ¡°You wanna keep your job? Maybe I can use you as a test subject.¡± ¡°Did I fail to mention you are an overly dedicated and obsessively loving husband?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Jason accepted proudly, his chin held high. ¡°Emphasis on the overly-dedicated and obsessive part.¡± ¡°Just leave.¡± Jason shooed him away with a hand. ¡°And the report?¡± Kwon flagged one more time, the file still in his hand. ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Jason¡¯s mood was stumped, but work was work. ¡°But may I ask, why memories? What good will that do? They''ll forget everything then. Isn''t that worse?¡± Kwon couldn¡¯t help but speak out of curiosity while he handed over the folder. Jason didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about that. I can start over if I need to. I''ll learn from my mistakes, but this way, they''ll forget everything I''ve done.¡± ¡°Yeah... couldn''t be me. But I''m sure you have a lot of skeletons in your closet.¡± He fixed his glasses once, a glare of light shimmering over them. ¡°Your mouth talks too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a privilege...and a curse, I guess. Anyway, the report.¡±
"Alright, I can take care of those minor details. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± The secretary gathered the paperwork and aimed for the exit. ¡°Have fun.¡± Jason called out from behind. ¡°You too, sir.¡± He shut the door and walked down the hall, his thoughts retreating to their earlier conversation. Kwon shut his eyes for a brief second. ¡®I¡¯m actually not surprised. It was going to be like this sooner or later.¡¯ Kwon had only met Max a few times, and from what he¡¯d seen, the blond was a very friendly social person. Very likeable and easy to get along with. Kwon saw him stop by the office a number of times, and every time he would bring the staff some donuts. The first time they were introduced was at a business networking convention as Jason¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Regardless of the limited personality of Max he was aware of, Kwon would still confidently blame Jason for whatever turmoil in their relationship. Jason was unusual and unpredictable at times. Though his conclusion mainly comes from that one time Kwon stopped by the other¡¯s home. Kwon was invited inside by Max after recognizing him at the door and requesting that he stay until Jason returned. The secretary was misinformed and thought Jason was home, as he needed to pass along a very important contract. He waited in the living room, where Leon, who was around one to two years old, crawled as well. Max fixed him some tea in the meantime. "Oh, thank you. I don¡¯t mean to be a burden.¡± Kwon apologized. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°It¡¯s totally fine~¡± Max smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to have visitors sometimes. Jason doesn''t like company too much, and I guess we''re kind of stranded in this big manor, so not a lot of people come over. But then again, with baby Leo growing, I guess our hands are full anyway." He went on with a sheepish laugh. ¡°Yeah look at him, I think it''s my first time seeing him in person. Jason shows me pictures all the time and has plenty on his desk. He seems like the quiet type." The blond hoisted the baby up. "Yeah, he is. I think he takes that after his daddy.¡± ¡°Is it okay if I hold him?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Kwon stood up and Max brought the child over. The child barely had any reaction as he was transferred to a complete stranger. "Wow, he¡¯s not hostile at all¡ªI don¡¯t know much about babies, but all my nieces and nephews cry every time they see me. The blond chuckled in response. That¡¯s when the main door opened, and Jason walked in. Max didn¡¯t notice the other walk in, but Jason did when the blond wasn¡¯t there to greet him. He walked into the house and ran into them. Jason halted dead in his tracks, his eyes unable to leave the sight before him. Kwon was holding their child in his arms, while Max was patting the kid¡¯s back smiling. Smiling. The warm, welcoming, loving smile that was only reserved for him. The blond picked up his gaze first, and his expression lit up, trudging over to him. ¡°Jason, welcome back.¡± However, Jason didn¡¯t respond at all, and his eyes were looking past him, towards Kwon and Leon. Max appeared puzzled and called out to him again. When the steel, turquoise eyes glided down to his level, looking him straight in the eye, Max shuddered at the intensity. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back, finally.¡± Kwon annunciated, putting the child down. Jason stiffly grabbed hold of his lover¡¯s elbow. ¡°What are you doing? Seriously, why are you here?¡± The lavender-haired dragged Max along with him, who was beginning to appear more and more nervous just based on Jason¡¯s sudden change in tone. Even the secretary picked up on that, especially when he was holding his arm like that, but it wasn¡¯t his place to say. Meanwhile, Jason¡¯s blood was boiling seeing those two together and a man in their house near Max like that. He could care less if the man was someone he¡¯d known for years¡ªthat didn¡¯t exclude the chances of them cheating. ¡°Ahem, I needed some documents that needed urgent review, and you left the office, so I assumed you¡¯d be home." ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± The lavender haired posed. Kwon gave him a flat expression. ¡°I did. Did you think I would just show up like this?¡± ¡°You still did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not doing this right now¡­¡± ¡°That still doesn''t warrant you stepping inside the house when I¡¯m not even here. How long have you been here?¡± ¡®This ingrate¡­¡¯ Kwon''s brow was twitching. ¡°Jason it¡¯s fine, I asked him to wait inside¡­ It hasn¡¯t been that¡ª¡± The blond finally found his voice. ¡°I didn''t ask you.¡± Albeit the lavender haired cut him off. ¡°You.¡± He turned to Max. ¡°Go wait in the bedroom for me.¡± It was more of a command than a request. The blond didn¡¯t want to make a scene, so he obliged and left. Kwon frowned as he watched the blond exit the room. ¡°Why are you looking at him?¡± Jason spat. ¡°All four of your eyes should be on me.¡± Now Kwon was speechless, staring at him with wide eyes. ¡°What is your problem all of a sudden? You¡¯re overreacting!¡± ¡°How long were you here with him?¡± "Geez, listen to yourself. Would I really make a move on your partner? I have better morals than that. I''m offended.¡± Kwon fixed his glasses. ¡°I deserve a raise now.¡± ¡°Answer the question.¡± The navy-haired heaved a sigh. There was never no winning with Jason. ¡°Hardly twenty minutes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s twenty minutes too much.¡± Jason crossed his arms, Kwon¡¯s temper resisting the urge to explode as well. ¡°You left the documents right? Now leave.¡± He noticed the files on the living room table. ¡°You¡¯re insane.¡± Kwon resorted to shaking his head and walking away. He couldn''t be bothered any further, and his boss was highly unpredictable at times. (The last thing he needed was to be impulsively fired.) As he walked out, Max¡¯s fearful face flashed in his mind again. ¡®Why did he look so scared? Maybe I¡¯m ruminating... That¡¯s still his partner at the end of the day.¡¯ From what he¡¯s witnessed, Jason always bought stuff for Max from their trips or even on his way home. In the office, he¡¯d call him several times a day and even call the driver to go pick him up. He had a picture frame of Max on his desk as well, which only pointed towards him. With that in mind, there was no way he¡¯d do something terrible, right¡­? Kwon snapped back to reality as he was nearing the first floor. ¡®What could he have done to push someone to that extent? And worse, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s holding any regret either¡­¡¯
Meanwhile, Jason continued to sit in his chair, leaning back and looking out the glass windows pensively. The skies were bleak gray, and small, silent rain drops showered down the glass windows on both sides. His side, and on Max''s side as well, as he listlessly sat across the window back at home. Chapter 5: Flashback Rain drizzled against the clear window panel as Max stared out listlessly. It was all gray. It was beginning to slow down, and one last droplet trickled off a leaf to form a small abandoned puddle on the ground. The sun rays reflected off the puddle, panning back to the drying leaf, swaying once in the wind as a handful of children zoomed past it. They were on the empty road near the curb of the sidewalk, in a part of town with poor, broken houses and a small, simple population. It was their hometown. Among the kids that ran around with a soccer ball, there was one kid with dark, dirty brown, wavy hair who looked over his shoulder, away from his friends. His gaze fixed on one of the new kids in the neighborhood who always sat by himself at the curb. The kid had a unique shade of lavender-gray straight hair and down-casted turquoise eyes that never looked at anyone directly. He was holding a book and flipping through the pages leisurely. ¡°Hey Max! What are you spaced out for?!" One of the neighborhood kids shouted, throwing the ball at him. ¡°Uh, sorry,¡± Max turned back to them in time to kick the ball back, but his mind was still elsewhere. ¡®Why did that kid not want to play with them?¡¯ He tried in the past to call out to him and invite him over but he never received any response or reaction. He didn¡¯t know his name either.
Max heard that the lavender-haired kid moved after his father lost his job and they were evicted from the apartment they used to live in. They were a family of three, and both parents had to move to the poorer side of the city to make ends meet. The brunette found a purple flower on the way home from school and almost instantly plucked it out. The purple shade was the exact shade as the new kid¡¯s hair, and he thought it¡¯d be a perfect little welcoming gift. That afternoon, without fail, as the kids gathered outside to play, Max noticed the lavender-haired dressed nicely and sitting at his usual curb. Max glanced down at his dusty white T-shirt and green shorts. He even had one of his side teeth missing¡ªwell, what more could you expect from an almost six-year-old. Then again, the lavender-haired never seemed to fit in with this atmosphere. Regardless of his standing, Max boldly ventured over and sat far away from the kid. When he heard no rejection or reaction, he scooted closer. It was getting awkward and intimidating at the same time, so he impulsively stuck his hand out with the flower as a peace treaty. ¡°Hi! My name is Max.¡± The brunette introduced but was left hanging there as the other didn¡¯t even budge. Max forced a smile. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± No response. ¡°¡­How old are you¡­?¡± Silence. ¡°Check it out, I picked this ¡®cause it reminded me of your hair, isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± The brunette sighed. Could he not hear him? Either way, he unwillingly gave up and left the flower beside the other before quietly leaving. Once he was gone, the lavender-haired stared down at the unique flower. ¡°Jason¡­¡± The kid murmured to himself.
¡°Are you out of your mind, woman?!¡± Jason¡¯s father yelled. He definitely had a drink; it was apparent in his tone. ¡°Are you saying this is my fault?!¡± Jason¡¯s mother, who also had lavender hair, long and curly, shouted back. ¡°How am I the only one to blame?! You¡¯re the one who wasted our money on this! Nothing but alcohol! You don¡¯t need more! That¡¯s why I returned them.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°How else do you expect me to live in this dump!?¡± Jason was right there, in the living room as well, watching this screaming match go down so casually. Their argument got heated, and his dad smacked her shoulder. Jason didn¡¯t care; this was common, but at the same time, it did annoy him. He threw the book he was holding straight at his dad. Fearlessly, the kid looked him in the eye and simply turned away, like his job was done. What the kid didn¡¯t expect was an abrupt, unexpected blow to the back of his head, slamming him straight to the floor, forehead first. The next time Jason opened his eyes, he was mapping an unfamiliar, bleak white hospital ceiling. He had bandages wrapped around his head, a broken nose, and an oxygen mask fogging over his mouth. And that was that. Something definitely broke in him that day.
One day after school, Max was coming home from his middle school when he noticed Jason dealing with an older man. The guy looked rough and hideous, but he grabbed the preteen by the collar. They were about twelve years old. ¡°I need ya to tell that old man of yours to pay up already. Ya hear me, pipsqueak.¡± Jason glared back at the man, not yielding at all. His eyes grew dark as he stared past his straight bangs. Before he or the man could act, a huge rock came flying his way and hit the man in the face. Next, he was tackled by another preteen. This forced the man to release Jason from his hold. ¡°Run!¡± Seeing Max cling on to the man certainly left him speechless and stunned for a brief moment. The lavender-haired jogged away until he surprised them when he returned with an abandoned brick and struck the man mercilessly once. The man stopped struggling, and Max stared at the other wide-eyed. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± A new voice was delivered, and it took the brunette a second to match it to Jason. That was the first time Max had heard him speak. Ever. Nonetheless, they ran from there until they were yards away. ¡°I didn¡¯t need your help.¡± Jason quietly said. Max only stared at him, hazel eyes glistening with hope. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whoa, you can actually talk!¡± ¡°¡­Idiot.¡± Jason deadpanned. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Max smiled warmly. ¡°But wasn¡¯t that a bit too much back there¡­?¡± ¡°Leave me alone.¡± Was all Jason said coldly before he went his separate way. They didn¡¯t talk much after that incident, mainly because Jason was so hard to approach.
Jason came home one day to hear his mother shouting. Well, that was commonplace, and he sure as hell didn¡¯t care to know what the topic was this time. ¡°Aaahgghhh! I can¡¯t believe you! I can''t believe this! Are you serious?!¡± His mother cried louder than her lungs could handle to his father as Jason passed the hallway to go upstairs to his room. ¡°You sold our baby?!¡± The lavender-haired paused at the stairway. ¡°We couldn¡¯t take care of it anyway, and the guy was paying me good money! He¡¯s too young to even know anyway.¡± Was his dad¡¯s lousy excuse. ¡®No way. His sorry excuse of a father, dare he say, actually sold his new-born brother. Wow, could this family go any lower?¡¯ He shook his head. He wished he could say it was nice knowing him, but he hardly even spent any time with him. His mother sobbed. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind. All that alcohol has rotted your brain... call them¡­ Call them! Right now! I want him back!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that! He¡¯s long gone now! Get over it!¡± His dad marched away, leaving his mom to spew a chain of curses. Jason resorted to his room, his expression blank and eyes as cold as death itself.
8th grade. Jason¡¯s father passed away; he would even say finally. They all stood outside at the grave site. The crowd wasn¡¯t big, only the family and a couple neighbors attended. Jason was standing at the fore-front inches away from the empty grave, while the rest observed from behind. ¡°Hello dear, our condolences.¡± One of the moms passed him by, tapping his shoulder consolingly. Jason gave a partial smile back. The women walked away, muttering. ¡°Oh my God, poor thing, he has to force himself to smile.¡± The lavender-haired rolled his eyes. ¡®Why are these defaults pitying me? A father like that was nothing but useless, of course I smile.¡¯ The thought alone made the teen smile wider. A sniffle from behind him interrupted his pleasant moment. The teen looked back to find Max, a certain brunette he couldn¡¯t shake off, hiding behind a tree. When the other teen was discovered, he immediately hid himself again. ¡®This kid¡­¡¯ ¡°I know you¡¯re there. What¡¯s the point in hiding?¡± Jason paused. ¡°Come out. Im not going to bit or throw you in.¡± The brunette timidly walked out and towards him until he was standing beside him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Jason didn¡¯t say anything in return, as they soon watched the casket descend, and prayers were voiced. The lavender-haired was taken aback when he felt his hand being gripped. He glanced to his side to find Max squeezing his hand and crying silently. Jason continued to stare at the odd, unexpected gesture as tears streamed down the other''s cheeks. Chapter 6: Flashback: Moving Out ¡®It must be so hard. He¡¯s not reacting at all and trying to keep a strong smile. So I¡¯ll cry for you instead.¡¯ Max thought, pushing up on his nose. Max wasn¡¯t returning the gaze, but Jason didn¡¯t know what to think. Instead, he expressionlessly held his hand back. There was a sweet, warm scent coming from the shorter teen. It was difficult to pinpoint what exactly it was, but it was certainly welcoming and comforting. Like the sun, almost¡ªsunflowers? Honey?
Max would sometimes think about Jason and hope he was doing well. Jason was tough to talk to, and a part of him felt like he was only a nuisance to the lavender-haired anyway. ¡®Oh well, it can¡¯t be helped for now, I should give him time.¡¯ It had only been a week or so since the funeral anyway. The brunette walked out of his house with his school bag strapped, exhaling softly. He opened his eyes and nearly jumped when he recognized Jason standing squarely in front of his path. He was wearing his uniform as well and had his messenger bag. ¡°J-Jason?!¡± The teen stuttered, fighting a mild blush. ¡°Um, was there something you needed¡­?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you headed to school? Same.¡± Jason shrugged. Right. They went to the same school. ¡°Eh? Wait, you wanna walk together?¡± Max gripped the straps of his bag unbelievingly. This was like a dream come true! ¡°Sure!¡± He gleefully caught up to the taller teen, and they began walking.
As time went on, Jason¡¯s mother also fell into the same trap. Depression, meds, alcohol now and then. It was just the two of them, and they had no relationship; no words exchanged between each other. Jason had just started high school, 9th grade when his mother became even more dependent on her anti-depressants. Jason¡¯s only complaint was that she was beginning to neglect her normal duties. A messy house, an empty fridge and no fresh-cooked meals were no surprise anymore to Jason. Sometimes he would come home, pick up a few things in his path, and take out the trash. Then he would go to the kitchen and find something to fix or eat. If there was nothing at home, he¡¯d take some change from underneath a tea cup and use it to buy some groceries. ¡®Out of the frying pan and into the fire¡­¡¯ Jason exuded a troubled sigh. First his father, and now his mother. Until one day, he found his mother¡¯s pills on the countertop, and she herself was lounging half asleep on the couch. Jason was there to get a glass of water but inevitably stared at the pills. There was an alcohol bottle right next to it as well. Sometimes she had a drink in the evenings or late afternoons to help her sleep better. The lavender-haired glanced back at his mom who might as well have forgotten he was even there. Hence, he slowly sidestepped until his body was covering the bottle. The teen quietly poured all the tablets into the alcohol bottle and let them dissolve before giving it a shake. He knew they would dissolve in another few hours anyway, and his mother wouldn¡¯t even care to notice. Jason then nonchalantly went back to his room to finish his homework. A few hours later, it was already past him until he heard a loud crash downstairs. The teen was spinning his pen between his fingers prior to that and had to place it down. He was tempted to check it out, but against his better judgment, he decided to wait a little longer. A good ten minutes later, he trotted downstairs to find his mother on the floor, and the bottle crashed and spilled a foot away from her. He merely stared at her lifeless body until the front door banged open and one of the neighbors walked in. ¡°I heard a loud¡ªoh my gosh! What happened? Quick! I¡¯ll call the ambulance!¡± The older lady cried. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡®Che. Meddlesome.¡¯ Jason clenched his jaw, his eyes panning to the sky once. An unfiltered intrusive thought of smashing the back of her head with a vase while she was turned away occurred to him, but he knew better as he closed his eyes. Soon enough, the ambulance was at their door and carried the woman away on a sketcher. The commotion and loud sirens evoked quite a few of the neighbors to stand around his house out of curiosity about what had happened. Jason feigned innocence and simply told them he had no idea; she was in the living room by herself. His mother ended up in the ICU and survived the event but was left in a deep coma. Jason was outside the room in the row of seats, thinking hard. This was a disappointment. If possible, he really didn¡¯t want to deal with her or live with her anymore. There had to be a way¡­ oh. ¡°Excuse me, can I have the child protective services number?¡± The lavender-haired went to the nearest counter and phone stand to make an anonymous call. He wasn¡¯t an adult yet; maybe he could have her taken away or something. He explained his living conditions with her and how irresponsible she was. The ultimate decision was for Jason to pack up his stuff and be relocated to a foster home or orphanage. ¡®Great. Not exactly the outcome he was planning, but... at least he could wash his hands from her for now.¡¯ Maybe he could find some peace, and he was confident in himself to make it through. It was only a matter of time before he graduated and was eighteen.
Jason went back home to start packing. He went straight to his bedroom and returned downstairs after tossing some necessities and his basic belongings, like clothes in it. The place was a mess; furthermore, it was dull, gloomy, and dusty, but he stopped caring about that a long time ago. Jason¡¯s vision tuned most of that stuff out anyway. This is where he grew up, and he hoped it was the last time he would see it anyways. There was nothing left for him here, no family, no belongings, nothing. The teen did notice a picture frame crashed on the floor; it was the four of them¡ªhis parents, him simply standing there, and his younger toddler brother in their arms. He tossed the picture on the table. He didn¡¯t realize how long he had been standing until a hand on his shoulder startled him. Jason jerked away and elbowed the person, causing them to fall backwards. ¡°Ow!¡± A familiar voice cried out from the floor. Jason was shocked to find Max on the floor, holding his wrists; his palms were bleeding from the shards on the floor. ¡°Ow¡­sorry I didn¡¯t mean to startle you¡­why is there glass on the floor, that¡¯s dangerous¡­ I heard your mother passed out, are you okay?¡± Even in that moment, he was more worried about Jason. The lavender-haired teen helped him up. ¡°W-what¡¯s with the bag?¡± ¡°Nothing that you need to worry about right now. Let¡¯s get this bandaged first.¡± Jason inspected the other¡¯s palms, provoking a hiss as the blood oozed from one of the fine cuts. Something about seeing the brunette in pain bothered him. As if a part of him cared? Was he even capable of that?
That evening, Jason was introduced to his foster home for the first time. There were a bunch of kids, all younger than him, that resided in the place. He was taken to his room, which was a small, crowded square room with two bunk beds on each side of the room. ¡®It¡¯s cramped.¡¯ Was his first thought, but then again, it could¡¯ve been worse, he supposed. And it was better than his messy rotting house. Again, he would just have to deal with it for now, anyhow. He placed his duffel bag on the lower bed, already planning to take the top bunk bed, whether it was already taken or not. He¡¯d rather be high up there and have everything beneath him in his blind spot. The teen glanced at the window that was situated in the middle wall, in between the two bunk beds. There was a long glass cylinder that held two sunflowers in water. The teen studied the flowers. The window was open and there was a very faint scent reaching his nose as he stood close. The scent, the large brown center, and the soft golden petals all around that mimicked the sun. It all reminded him of a certain someone.
For the most part Jason kept to himself in the room, mostly wearing headphones and occupying himself with his books. Despite being cold to the fellow children, he was all fake smiles and flattering good behavior in front of the elders or teachers. He wasn¡¯t here to make friends; he needed to get out of this shitty life, grow a business of his own, and then live above everyone else. He would destroy anyone or anything that came in his way. Yes, that was the goal. Chapter 7: Flashback: Uninvited Max found out the hard way that Jason was no longer living at his old place. He waited the next morning, but no one ever answered the door. Furthermore, he noticed Jason was absent for the next few days as well. Gone without a single word. ¡®I thought we were close¡­¡¯ The teen was mildly offended, but then again, they weren¡¯t that close at the same time. Sure, they walked to school every morning recently, but they still hardly conversed, and during lunch they had their own friend groups. Well, in all honesty, now that he thought about it, he never really saw Jason during lunch... It wasn¡¯t until the next week started that he noticed a unique stroke of lavender-gray hair when he was walking into the school. The teen¡¯s head shot up instantaneously, and he called out to the lavender-haired from the gates. ¡°Jason! Jason!¡± He paced towards him. Jason turned around and didn¡¯t recognize the other teen running towards him at all. Max was puzzled at his confusion at first until he mentally facepalmed himself. ¡®Of course Jason wouldn¡¯t recognize him right away. It had been a brief while.¡¯ The timing wasn¡¯t the issue. It was more so with appearances. Max walked over, short-sleeved uniform shirt, backpack strapped on both shoulders, a bright smile as always, but this time accompanied by bright bleached blond hair practically glowing in the sun rays. Dying his hair had been on his mind for a while now, and now that they¡¯ve started high school, he couldn¡¯t think of a better time. His hair was still wavy and short, but it was peeking from behind his ears and neck. When Jason finally registered his voice and features, he stared with awe, caught off guard. ¡°Max?¡± ¡°Haha hi¡­feels like it¡¯s been a while, huh¡­? What do you think?¡± The now-blond timidly played with a lock, curling it over his finger. ¡°It might be messy ¡®cause I did it myself.¡± Jason always had a comeback or something smart to say, but for once he was mildly starstruck. If anything, the new hair suited his hazel-green eyes the most. It accentuated him very much, like a diamond that was finally polished. Who would¡¯ve thought changing one aspect could change the whole vibe and energy so much? Albeit messy indeed, the brown roots were visible, and a couple unbleached strands were in between, but somehow they meshed just fine. ¡°It suits you¡­¡± Jason spoke up at last, guiding the other¡¯s finger off that lock of hair as an excuse to feel the wavy strands himself. ¡°Haha, thanks¡­oh! By the way! Where were you this entire time?! Is everything okay?¡± ¡°I moved.¡± ¡°Well, no wonder. That explains why, no matter how long I waited, no one answered the door at your place. Where did you move to? Alone or with your mom?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking too many questions.¡± Jason closed his eyes and slowly turned away. The bell would ring soon, and they couldn¡¯t stand in the front yard all day. ¡°What? Jason, please tell me.¡± There was urgency in Max¡¯s voice as he reached out for the other¡¯s arm, but at the same time, there was delicate concern and plead. ¡°I¡¯m living somewhere else. A house full of unwanted kids, nothing special.¡± ¡°A foster care? Orphanage?¡± ¡°Mh, something like that.¡± Jason undermines. ¡°But why¡­¡± ¡°Where else? Anywhere¡¯s better than that house.¡± The teens entered the building and walked down the hall to sign in. Max was quiet as he swiped his ID card. ¡°Well¡­what if¡­¡± He hesitated. ¡°What if you lived with us¡­?¡± The lavender-haired teen turned his whole head to face him; he didn¡¯t look pleased at all, and his eyes were dead cold as they stared him down. The response was very unwarranted and froze the blond in his steps. He could¡¯ve sworn he said something so wrong, but he knew he didn''t; in fact, quite the opposite. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Are you kidding? Of course not.¡± Jason spat before turning back to normal. ¡°Who are you? Makes no sense for me to impose like that.¡± That stung. Max knew what the other meant, saying they were mostly strangers and he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable living on someone¡¯s income like that, but it still hurt him to hear that. Was he the only one that was drawn to the other? ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He quietly followed the other to the classrooms, clenching one of his straps.
¡°Hey son! What¡¯s cookin¡¯ today?¡± Max¡¯s dad, Willis, marched into the small, two-bedroom house. He came home from his construction work and tossed his helmet on the couch before dropping on to it himself. ¡°Welcome home, dad! Nothing special, just stir-frying some bell peppers and cabbage with baked chicken.¡± Max answered from the kitchen, which was joint with the living room space. ¡°How was work?¡± ¡°Same old. How¡¯s school?¡± ¡°Same old too, I suppose¡­Jason liked the hair, by the way.¡± The blond added for fun, for conversation sake. ¡°Oh yea? That¡¯s cool. Who was that again?¡± ¡°Daaddd! Come on, I talk about him all the time. The purple-haired, you remember?¡± Max whined. ¡°Oh! Right right! The purple fella, the one you¡¯re always hangin¡¯ out with from a long time ago.¡± ¡°Yes. I mean, we don¡¯t hang out that much. I always tried talking to him as a kid, but he never really budged. We just recently started walking to school together. But¡­ It seems that¡¯s no longer happening considering he moved now.¡± Max explained as he poured the steaming vegetables onto a large plate. It was just the two of them, so most of the time they just picked from the same plate. ¡°Oh? What do you mean? Family moved? Well, that¡¯s not a terrible thing considering how bad these streets are.¡± His dad shrugged. ¡°But that¡¯s the thing. He didn¡¯t move with his family. He¡¯s living in an orphanage or something. His mom recently went into a coma, so he has nowhere else to be.¡± ¡°What the? What¡¯s the point of that? He could just live with us; I¡¯m sure you two could share a room.¡± Willis made his way to the small kitchen table and pulled out a chair. ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s what I said! But¡­he doesn¡¯t agree¡­¡± ¡°Nah! Nonsense! Where is he at?¡± ¡°Uh¡­isn¡¯t there only one home care like that in this area?¡± Max wondered, taking a bite out of his fork.
The next morning, Willis was still at home, when normally he would leave hours before Max woke up. ¡°Uh, hey dad, what¡¯s up? You¡¯re not going to work?¡± ¡°Oh, hey morning. I just had to stop by somewhere first. You up for school?¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s still plenty of time. Stop by where?¡± ¡°Ah~ don¡¯t worry so much about it.¡± Okay, now he was worried about it. Max stared at him back but stifled the urge to say anything. He¡¯ll let it slide¡­for now. That is, until his dad left the house, and he instantly followed behind. He¡¯ll accept the recuperations later, but something in his gut strongly told him to follow. To say he was stunned when he pulled up to where his dad was parked would be a massive understatement. He was literally in front of the orphanage! ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Max facepalmed as he hid behind one of the parked cars. ¡®No, he didn¡¯t.¡¯ He dreaded as he watched his airhead of a father march in. ¡®What is he gonna do¡­? Jason is going to kill him for this!¡¯ The lavender-haired already felt intimidating when he was smiling; Max wouldn¡¯t want to imagine what it would feel like to be in his vicinity when he was angry. He may be thinking too much, but at times it was hard to tell what the other was thinking. Despite his words and expressions, it always felt like Jason was calculating something entirely different in his mind, especially when his eyes were closed. A moment after Willis entered the building, the blond glanced left and right to make sure the coast was clear before sneaking in with a bunch of kids through the main doors. ¡°Jason! Let me see him! There¡¯s no point in him living here!¡± Max recognized Willis¡¯s voice coming from inside the main office. ¡°Excuse me, sir, what is your relationship to him? Are you a parent?¡± The head of the house attempted to calm him down. She was stern in her approach, not standing from her desk at all. ¡°Uh, no¡ª¡± ¡°A relative?¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± ¡°Then we cannot allow the child to leave with you.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re neighbors; my boy has known him since he was this high! He can just stay with us!¡± Willis tried to convince her. ¡°Sir, I cannot allow that, and I will need you to leave.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just call him over once?¡± ''Geez, dad, please stop; you¡¯re embarrassing everyone.¡¯ Max eavesdropped from outside. ¡°What is going on?¡± An even-pitched, hostile yet familiar voice startled him. Max looked up to find Jason a couple feet away. ¡°Jason!¡± the blond hissed and automatically straightened himself. ¡°Uh¡­you¡¯re here¡ªI mean, morning.¡± ¡°One of the elders told me what the commotion was about¡ªwho is here? Why are you here?¡± The lavender-haired interrogated. ¡°Sir, I will call security if you don¡¯t leave¡ª¡± The main office door they were standing outside opened, and Willis was being guided out by the head lady. Chapter 8: Flashback: Meddlesome "Look, just let me¡ªboys! Wait, Max¡ªwhat are you doing here?¡± Willis discerned them right away. ¡°Jason! There you are! Look, tell them you¡¯d rather live with us; you don¡¯t need to be forced to live here.¡± It took a second for Jason to recognize the man, and when he did, his turquoise eyes darkened with disappointment and inconvenience. Furthermore, his jaw clenched tightly to the point where his mouth was in a straight line. ¡°No.¡± It was a stern, quiet, yet audible refusal. ¡°I¡¯m not going with you.¡± ¡°There you have your answer; now you must leave.¡± The head demanded. Willis was in confusion but ultimately sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡­Okay, but listen, we may not be family, but you can ask for anything if you ever find yourself in a pickle. You don¡¯t have to go through this alone.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks, Max¡¯s father, but that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Jason forced the words out with a partial smile, closing his eyes upward in the process. ¡°Maybe sometimes you can stay over the weekends? You guys go to the same school anyway, right?¡± Willis suggested. "Okay, that¡¯s enough, dad, please!¡± Max pushed him towards the door from behind. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Willis surrendered and left, giving the head one last apologetic wave. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, Jason. I promise I didn¡¯t send him.¡± The blond immediately ran to Jason, sounding as sincere as he could. Jason studied him coldly. He was telling the truth. The teen sighed. This was such a hassle to deal with. He was agitated yet couldn¡¯t bring himself to yell or take revenge on the blond. ¡°Just keep things to yourself next time.¡± ¡°I will. I¡¯m sorry again. But¡­Dad was right; if you ever wanna come over or need anything, let me know¡­I¡¯m here for you.¡± The blond quietly added the last part. ¡°Mh. You should head back, or you¡¯re going to be late.¡± The lavender-haired told her, and all the while he turned away as well. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you at school then.¡± Max nodded, not fully satisfied, but it didn¡¯t seem like Jason was mad at him, per se.
Jason signed up for student council. He didn¡¯t know why, but he knew he needed to. A power complex, much? Who knows. ¡°Jason~!¡± Max''s all-too-familiar voice sang his name as usual. He had gotten awfully used to the other teen following him around. ¡°Oh? Are you signing up for a club?¡± The blond questioned him when he saw Jason finish signing his name on one of the posters on the wall. ¡°No. Student council.¡± ¡°Wow¡­you''re so smart.¡± Max marveled. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Hm¡­I don''t know if there''s a particular club that interests me. I do enjoy playing soccer with the soccer team after school. Maybe the culinary club would be nice? There''s nothing better than learning and distributing a nice, warm, simple dessert that brings a smile on the other person''s face. And it feels good too when you eat it.¡± ¡°Hn. I don¡¯t know how much I agree.¡± When was the last time he had an ¡®delicious¡¯ warm home-cooked meal? ¡°What?? You don¡¯t mean that. Okay, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll cook for you one time. It¡¯ll change your mind completely¡ªtrust me.¡± ¡°Okay that¡¯s great and all, but I meant what are you upto right now?¡± Jason scoffed, dismissing the idea. He didn¡¯t hold high hopes for anything unless he was the one carrying out the action. ¡°Ugh, that. I¡¯m just headed towards social studies class." The blond¡¯s shoulders slumped. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Stop wasting time, then.¡± ¡°Oh no, you''re already starting to sound like a student president. What class do you have right now?¡± ¡°Math.¡± "Ughh, that''s even worse!¡± Max scratched his hair. ¡°Is there any class you like?¡± ¡°Arts and crafts.¡± The blond''s spirit lit up and he answered without hesitation. ¡°Figured.¡± Jason stifled a smile. The other teen was so chaste sometimes. He was probably the only thing that brought on a genuine urge to smile. ¡°Hey Maxie, where did you get your hair done in the forest? Hahaha,¡± one of the girls innocently in their class teased at the mosaic bleached hair. "Oh, come on, it¡¯s not that bad for a first try.¡± Max reasoned without malice. The girls laughed, failing to realize Jason''s dark presence. The lavender-haired absolutely disapproved and glowered at the girls especially the one who made the meaningless remark. He had held himself back from saying anything to Max, and truthfully, the blond was right; the hair didn''t look so bad. So how dare they say anything when he didn''t? It made him fist his hands and his skin prickle. The girl finally picked up on the strong, menacing aura coming her way and flinched internally. ¡®What is his problem?¡¯ She almost felt threatened as Jason¡¯s cold steel, unblinking turquoise eyes sent murderous daggers. Before Jason could say anything, she and the group hurried along anyway. ¡°A bunch of invalids.¡± Jason mumbled. ¡°Hm? Don''t mind them; we''re used to joking around. Uh, Jason, are you okay?¡± Max had to ask when the other teen continued to look in the girl''s direction instead of at him. Turquoise eyes finally landed on him, and they were empty and unreadable. ¡°Yeah. Fine. I need to go.¡± He told her and began walking in the opposite direction. ¡°Yeah¡­same. See you later!¡± Max chirped, waving but didn''t hear a response or reaction in return. ¡°Or not¡­¡± ¡®What was up with him just now? Maybe he thought they were being serious? Did he get angry for my sake?¡¯ The feeling was very flattering. The blond was blinded by his own fluttering feelings that he dismissed the other¡¯s abnormal attitude towards the prior situation.
Jason could recognize Max¡¯s bleached hair from miles away. That was no surprise. However, him smiling and laughing towards another man in the hallway across from him was. The other person didn¡¯t seem to be anyone from their class; he was tall, a bit built, and had his hair spiked up. Something about the atmosphere the two created in Jason¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t sit right with him. The lavender-haired raised a brow as he walked towards them. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the blond. ¡®Did he always smile like that?¡¯ Jason pondered. He hadn¡¯t paid too much attention because he had seen him like that for years now. However, right now, there was this warm, radiant glow around him, completely chaste and pure. Jason imagined Max smiling like that towards him, and that image was much more soothing to his nerves. When the lavender-haired turned the corner, Max was standing by himself. ¡°Who was that?¡± Jason immediately imposed. ¡°Hn? Ohl hey Jason.¡± ¡°The guy you were talking to?¡± ¡°Oh, just now? That was an upperclassman from my club.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with all these questions?¡± Max whined. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Jason stared him down pensively. ¡°Why are you hiding it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hiding it¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s very insignificant anyhow. I have to head back to the student council.¡± With that, Jason abruptly turned around and headed back. Max was only left confused and blinking after him.
¡°Let¡¯s walk home.¡± Jason sought out Max for a change. The blond did a double take, but his eyes lit up ever so subtly. ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Meet me at the gates.¡± Jason began walking. The blond loved the idea, considering they hadn¡¯t walked together in a long while now and it was impossible to meet up in the mornings. He was so looking forward to it that he didn¡¯t even notice when he bumped into Jason¡¯s back. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going.¡± ¡°Why did you stop, though?¡± ¡°¡­No reason.¡± Jason thought he caught a glimpse of a certain upperclassman, but he must have imagined it. ¡°What¡¯s gotten you so deep in thought?¡± ¡°Huh, oh nothing.¡± Max couldn¡¯t admit that his heart was literally fluttering at the thought of them spending more time and walking home together. ¡°Oh! Jason, how did your test results go?¡± ¡°For which class?¡± ¡°Math.¡± ¡°Decent. Why?¡± ¡°Uh¡­well I kinda failed it¡­math isn¡¯t my subject¡­¡± Max cowered. ¡°Are you serious?¡± The lavender-haired genuinely asked. ¡°It was only on one chapter though¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to rub it in now¡­¡± The blond deadpanned. ¡°Are you asking me for help?¡± Jason blurted. ¡°Um¡­would it be out of the realm of possibilities if I did¡­¡± Max pleaded with big eyes. Jason actually didn¡¯t mind. Despite hating small favors for people for free, especially when he had enough to focus on. ¡°Sure.¡± The word was out of the taller teen¡¯s mouth before he could even stop it. It took Max a moment to process the response since Jason had no change in expression or anything. ¡°Really?! Wow, thanks! You¡¯re such a lifesaver. We can do my house this weekend.¡± Max smiled wildly. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Jason.¡± Jason secretly admired the praise. ¡°Max?¡± A third voice interjected them from behind. The blond instantly turned his head to find his spiky-haired friend. ¡°Hey,¡± The blond greeted. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jason didn¡¯t even notice when a frown appeared on his face. ¡°Was about to check on the plants on the roof. You wanna come?¡± The upperclassman replied.