Looking at the taller man who is sitting on his bed, curiously looking around his messy room as if he finds it interesting makes Bren question his life. What would a grown-up businessman in Armani suit be doing on his bed looking like a fine meal ready to be eaten? Bren shakes his head as if shaking the naughty thoughts out of his mind.

“You got a decent room here albeit a small and messy one at that but it will do.” Mark delicately said as the smaller man flushes with embarrassment.

“Sorry, I’m usually more organized than this but I’ve been really busy with my jobs and school work.” He rubs a hand on his nape as Mark looks intensely at him.

“You’re lucky you have me now then? As soon as we can start our arrangement you can quit your job and focus on your studies and of course me.” He said with a teasing grin.

Bren hesitantly smiled back, yes that is true. With Mark as his financial support means some burden will be lifted off of him, making him more relaxed and comfortable than before.

“I’ll just change my clothes and then I’ll be off to school. Wait here for a while. Don’t touch anything; I can’t remember if James left his smelly socks in here somewhere.” He warned the man who scoffed.

As the smaller man walk away Mark caught sight of a scrapbook hidden behind the papers on Bren’s messy table. He curiously snatches it and opens it up to see a picture of a younger Bren with a woman who looks older than him. The two of them are smiling into the camera with a genuine happy smile. Around the photo frame are some stickers and Bren’s very own handwriting that says “My Family”

“You only have each other from the start huh? I envy you, at least you still have someone while I…I have no one.” Mark whispers and puts the scrapbook back in its place.

Bren walks out wearing his usual school outfit for the past few years. His shirt looks worse for wear but still decent enough to be worn. Having three jobs didn’t give him the luxury of buying new clothes when his focus is to have food on his table and paying his student loan on time.

“Tadaa! And I’m ready! Come and drive me off to school now, you promise.” Bren cheerfully said ready to start studying and cramming his brains off.

“Alright, I will let’s go now.”

Mark walks towards him and grabs his hands, dragging him outside and into his car.

“You do know that you have longer legs than I do right? I really don’t appreciate you dragging me around like a doll.” Bren whines loudly.

“But you are a doll, my very own doll so chill and let me do anything I want with you.”

Bren crosses his arms in annoyance.

“You know we really need to have a set of rules for our set up.” Bren insisted.

“You do that, list down what you want in this relationship and I will also make a list of my own.” Mark calmly said as he parked his car in the university lot, opens up the door for Bren who walks out of it and look straight up at him.

“I’m not a girl.,” he mutters.

“I know..” Mark slowly said wondering what’s on the smaller man’s mind.

“You don’t have to open doors for me, I’m still a man and I still have a dick.”

Mark closes his eyes and sighs.

“You really are a handful, love…list down all the things that you want. We’ll meet up again later to talk about it and then we’ll come to an agreement okay.”

Bren nods his head and slings his backpack on his shoulder.

“One more thing…here take this.”

Mark shoves a handful of cash on him which surprises him even further.

“What…what’s this?”

“Money…”

Bren rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“I know, what I mean is why are you giving me these?”

“Go out shopping and change that t-shirt. It looks awful with your pants, just go away and spend my money.” Mark tersely said, looking at his lover’s outfit as if they had personally done him wrong.

Bren’s mind froze on that particular statement.

GO AWAY AND SPEND HIS MONEY.

Bren smiled and laughs internally, he knew his best friend would love to join in on his shopping spree.

“Oh…okay. I can do that Mark, I can totally spend a couple of thousand dollars in one go.” Bren confidently said feeling excited about his first-ever shopping spree.

“I will arrange a credit card with your details so you can shop cashless. I need to go, take this cellphone and I will call you later. Now give me a kiss.” Mark demanded as he looked at his watch.

Bren looks at the taller man as if he’s unreal. What a man Mark Roberts is.

“Love…do we also need to have your ears checked?”

“No…sorry.” Bren stood on tiptoe and kissed Mark on the cheeks when the taller man scowled back at him.

“That’s not a proper kiss, I want one with tounges,” Mark demanded as Bren look around and see a couple of students looking curiously at them.

“But we’re outside the car, people will see.” Bren hisses as Mark lifted an eyebrow.

“So what? Let them see, I don’t care for their opinion. Now I really need to go so..”

Mark leaned down and kiss him straight on the lips, biting his lower lip gently waiting for him to open up and when he did the taller man shoves his tongue inside, urging him for a taste of that sweet heat. A quick kiss turns into a full make-out session and Mark only stopped it because his phone rang.

“Damn.., you really have some lips to die for love. We’ll continue this later. I have to go. Bye.”

Mark quickly enters the car leaving the smaller man standing with his bag and his small box containing his newest iPhone, one hand slowly tracing his swollen lips.

“That man just stole my first kiss.” He muses as he stares at the car until he can’t see it anymore.

“Yah, bitch, I just forced you to take that dude and now I see you playing tongue hockey with him inside the school ground. That is so badass Bren, I am freaking proud of you.” James shouted as he runs towards his best friend who laughs nervously at him.

“It’s, everything is a mess but look what he gave me? He said to take it and spend it,”

James looks at the bundle of cash on his best friend’s hands.

“Honey, when your daddy say take it and spend it, you go take it and spend it real good.”

The duo immediately goes shopping after class, with James teaching Bren the new styles and perfect outfit for him to invest with.

“I don’t think I will spend hundreds on that one when I can only use it on parties..” He said as James shakes his head at him.

“You got funds, Bren, you need party clothes because one, you’re mostly going to be invited to parties now that the media will know about you soon, you’ll be well known after a formal appearance with Mark and he will probably take you to his business parties as well so you also need formal clothes.” James insisted as he thinks of himself as Bren’s personal stylist and life guru.

“But no...this is too much let’s just take it slow and take it one day at a time.”

“Alright…sorry for pestering you I am just so excited for the upcoming possibilities for you.”

“I want to send some money to my sister..” Bren slowly said.

“Yeah…we can do that,” James said with a smile, knowing how being able to help his sister means a lot to Bren.

“Mark also said I should list down all the things that I want and he’ll take a look at my list later and we’ll talk about it.” Bren blurted out looking at James for support.

“Go ahead and list it down babe, make sure you layout everything.”

“What if he doesn’t like what I want,…what if he insists on what he wants. He can do that he has the upper hand in this kind of relationship.”

James grabs his hands and makes him stare directly at him.

“Bren listen, the fact that Mark asks for your opinion means he is a decent man who will value what you, his partner will feel in this whole set up. He can just go on with it without asking for your wants and needs babe, he’s actually reaching out to you.”

“I…yeah. He is. He’s really nice, albeit a little bit rough around the edges, and a rude one sometimes but he treats me well.”

“Be yourself and think about what you will write on that list. What will be the first rule that you will write?”

“No feelings involved.”

James looks at him in surprise, playing with fate has never been good. Everyone knows that.

“Be careful what you are wishing for babe…be very careful.”