Anton, who had been watching Xander's every movement, placed the glass back on the table. He chuckled a bit. "It is always your choice."
"Not in this case." Xander replied before looking at the spread on the table. "What's for dinner?"
"I have no idea." Anton replied honestly. He lifted the dish covers revealing a variety of food.
"Smells delicious." Xander commented.
Anton smiled. "Help yourself."
"Or would you like me to serve you?" He added as an afterthought.
Xander chuckled. His laughter was low and velvety enough to make anyone else feel both scared and dazed at the same time. "That won't be necessary."
They each picked up their plates, serving themselves, and ate to their fill.
Anton started clearing up, picking up his and Xander's dishes. He took them to the kitchen and Xander followed suit helping him clean up too.
"That's not necessary. I'll do it myself." Anton said, coming out of the kitchen.
"I ate too, so I might as well help out."
"You don't have to."
"But I will." Xander's voice was firm, leaving no room for discussion, taking all the dishes and glasses he could to the kitchen.
Anton sighed and followed him, taking the last of the dishes and utensils.
*
They were in the kitchen. Xander washing and rinsing, and Anton drying and racking the plates. They worked in silence for a while until Anton spoke.
"You have to go back tonight?" He asked with a polite smile, his face turned towards Xander.
Xander handed him a just rinsed dish and then replied curtly. "Yes." They had finished all the plates in the sink and Anton wiped the counter that water had spilled on. It was an unusual sight, seeing someone as well dressed as Anton wiping a counter.
"Alright." He had just finished and hung up the napkin back, handing another one to Xander to dry his hands.
Xander dried his hands and handed it back silently. Anton accepted it and dried his then led Xander out of the kitchen.
They stood at the front door of the house. Xander picked up a black suit coat, hung at the coat rack by the door.
"Thank you for the room and dinner." He told Anton with a faint smile.
"You're welcome. Come again anytime." He urged Xander.
Xander nodded and turned to leave.
Anton watched him leave, then shut the door.
He went back to the first room, reading the same black book he'd been reading before.
A fond smile played on his lips, no one knew if it was for the book or for Xander's visit.
*
Xander came again another day and they sat together in the lounge again.
Xander sat on the left and Anton sat on the right again.
Xander's head was leaned on the back of the chair and he sat slouched with his legs open and his arms rested on the arm rest.
Anton sat legs crossed again, left over right, but leaning his right arm on the armrest of the chair, and resting his left hand over his right. He sat there simply observing Xander's face.
Xander was dressed in a navy blue shirt this time that hugged his frame and was buttoned up to the second button again and black skinny jeans, his shirt tucked into his jeans. His sleeves rolled up again like last time and he wore black ankle high combat boots on his feet. He wore another gold watch on his left wrist.
He sat up and turned to Anton, who didn't even bother looking away. The top half of his hair was tied up with a rubber band and folded so it didn't fall onto the rest of his hair. The lower half of his hair fell to his neck. The top half was noticeably longer than the bottom half. He didn't have any strands falling in his eyes this time and so his locked chiselled jawline stood out.
He had dark circles around his eyes and tiny bags beneath his eyes. Neither of which were very noticeable unless you looked close enough.
Anton on the other hand was dressed in a loose airy cream coloured button up shirt, buttoned almost to the top again, tucked into loose white trousers, similar to slacks but not quite. He wore a pair of white slippers on his feet. His hair was packed up completely held in a rubber band and folded so it didn't fall onto his shoulders. A few strands were left framing his face.
He looked ethereal.
"What brings you to my humble abode today? Last time you came was two weeks ago. I didn't think you'd ever come again." Anton asked curiously with a smile.
Xander looked at him for a moment before turning his face away, staring straight at the ceiling which had a mural of a field with clouds in the blue sky, some grass, flowers, a few trees and some butterflies on it.
"I don't know. I just felt like it."
"That's what you said last time too, but I'd take your word for it."
"Mn."
"What have you been doing these days?" Anton asked.
"Just work."
"Mn. I see. And is that what has been giving you sleepless nights?" Anton asked.
Xander turned his eyes to Anton but said nothing in reply.
"What have you been up to?" Xander asked, probably out of courtesy.
"I've been rearranging my library while dealing with business."
"Should I ask, or..." Xander started.
Anton chuckled. "You can if you want to know. What do you want to know?"
"What business?"
"Interior decoration. I mostly work from home. I only ver go to the company once in a while when I feel like it."
"I see... Why on earth are you rearranging your library? Who does that?"
Anton laughed, his laugh airy and light, sounding rather carefree.
"I was getting sick of the arrangement. I'm the only one who reads the books anyways. I don't think anyone would miss the old arrangement."
"Up to you." Xander replied, then added out of curiosity. "Did you design your own home?"
"To a point, yes. But I retained most of the original design because I liked it. I only renovated the guest bedrooms, the kitchen and the living room because they were too far gone to be used anymore."
"Interesting. I like them. They look good."
"Well, thank you." Anton smiled at him. His smile was gentle and sincere as always.
"Mn.."