Anton came back into the lounge not long after with a genuine smile on his face.
"Xander. What brings you here so early this time? And so soon. Only two days passed. You even came just after lunch."
"I felt like. And I'm sleeping over again today." Xander told him shamelessly.
"I'm not sure whether to be surprised or to just tell you alright." Anton chuckled. It was the first time he'd heard Anton laugh in a while.
Xander froze, before his own face broke into a smile. "Say alright."
Anton laughed. "Isn't it meant to be my decision?"
"You don't have a choice." Xander retorted point blank, with no trace of shame in his demeanor. He even looked proud of his words.
"Alright then, I guess I don't have a choice." Anton smiled and sat in his chair. "Have you had lunch?"
"Yes." There was comfortable silence for a while. "Why do you have it all on the app?"
"Have what?" Anton's brow furrowed a bit in confusion.
"A way to avoid meeting clients more than once." Xander watched him intently waiting for an answer.
"I hate people touching me. Even when I meet the clients for the first time, I consciously avoid body contact." Anton smiled slightly.
"Why?" Xander asked, his brows pulled together a bit.
"I just hate it. I always have." Anton admitted with a shrug, maintaining his smile.
"So if people touch you, you'll feel disgusted or what?" Xander asked, his face going blank. The smile on Anton's face slowly drained away.
"I won't use the word disgusted, but I'll feel highly uncomfortable." Anton admitted, looking down at his lap.
"And if I touch you?" Xander's eyes remained on him, watching his every move. His face was still blank. It seemed as though it was getting colder and colder by the minute. His body was tense as a tightly wound coil, waiting for the best moment to be released. What would happen when it was released though, no one knew. His hands were rested on the arm rest and his fingers curled around the edge of the armrest rather tightly.
Anton looked up at him, meeting his eyes. Xander raised a brow, impatiently expecting an answer.
"I don't know. Honestly." Anton admitted. He looked relaxed but in actuality seemed very vigilant in anticipation of Xander's reaction. He sat properly, but he looked a bit tense. He interlocked his fingers rather tightly and sat them in his lap.
"You already said you get uncomfortable if people touch you. What makes it different if it's me? Why are you hesitating in answering the question." Xander's face became even colder. No expression. He spoke in a tone one could feel the underlying frost with every word he spoke.
"I think it's cause it's you. You haven't tried though so I can't really say." Anton explained.
Xander cocked his head to the left, scrutinizing Anton's expression. With no trace of dishonesty in his demeanor, Xander could only relax. His hands loosened against the arm of the chair and his body sagged against the chair rather subtly.
Anton who had been assessing Xander's body language, also relaxed a bit, finally assured.
Xander stood up, rather abruptly, which caught Anton's attention of course. But Xander didn't stop there. He held a curious gaze at Anton's left hand. The hand that rested comfortably on the left arm rest of his chair. Xander leaned over Anton, his left hand holding the right arm rest of Anton's chair, trapping Anton in the seat. Their faces weren't very close, but it was close enough for Xander to hear Anton's breathing.
Xander reached his right hand out to Anton's left hand. Anton who had been watching, could guess what he was about to do. "He's going to touch my hand." was clearly written all over his face, with the way his eyes kept travelling back and forth between his own left hand and Xander's approaching right hand, and yet, he still didn't move his hand away.
Xander raised his gaze abruptly and coincidentally locked eyes with Anton. His hand was already less than a centimetre from Anton's. He placed his hand over it. His eyes didn't leave Anton's. Anton still didn't move. He sat perfectly still. He seemed to even be holding his breath.
Xander took his hand away, but Anton still didn't move. Xander placed a finger on Anton's hand, drawing all sorts of shapes and patterns on the back of his hand.
A shiver ran through Anton and Xander pulled his hand back, rather slowly. The frost was slowly returning to Xander's features.
"So you are uncomfortable." He placed emphasis on the word 'are'. He clenched his jaw and straightened up about to take a step away. Anton grabbed his hand, his own hand circling around Xander's wrist, not roughly, but firmly enough to keep him from leaving.
"I'm not uncomfortable. It just..." Anton trailed off not knowing how to explain himself but he looked a bit troubled as though he didn't want Xander to misunderstand.
Xander raised a brow waiting for Anton to spit it out.
"It feels odd... not uncomfortable, just hot." Anton admitted. "I'm not sure you understand what I mean. I'm just not used to people touching me at all, talk less of this way. It feels really weird."
Xander tilted his head and analysed Anton's words and expressions before his gaze finally landed on Anton's hand that held his wrist. His gaze remained there and Anton removed his hand.
"I apologize. I just didn't want you to misunderstand." Anton smiled politely, placing his hand on the arm rest as though nothing happened, still looking up at Xander.
Xander said nothing, but he didn't leave where he stood. His right hand reached out again but this time he placed it on Anton's head. Anton's eyes followed the movement of the hand till he couldn't anymore and he turned back to Xander, curiously wondering what he was going to do until he felt Xander's hand on his hair.
Xander's hand stroked his hair. Once. Twice. "Is it uncomfortable?" Xander stroked his hair slowly and languidly. Anton closed his eyes, seemingly enjoying the motions leaning his head into Xander's hand even more.
"No. It feels nice." Anton's voice was gentle. He sounded a bit dazed. Xander's thumb lowered and brushed his forehead gently. Anton looked up at Xander. His eyes looked hazy and half lidded and his lips curled up in a lazy smile. He looked as seductive as he did the first time, when he was speaking to Xander about not having 'found that person yet'.
"It's not uncomfortable at all." His voice was husky and low. It sounded rather alluring. Xander stopped abruptly, and swallowed, taking his hand back from Anton's head.
Xander took a step back wanting a bit of space. He stared at the wall to their left. He was avoiding meeting Anton's eyes.
Anton took a look at him, gauging his reaction but said nothing. He sat there composed as ever. Looking as though nothing had happened.