After preparing dinner, Louis poured wine into two glasses while Elias busied himself putting the roses in a vase. The tender petals were lightly misted, and Elias couldn't help but run his fingers over them. So... beautiful.
The silence, which had settled after Louis' earlier question, was soon broken by him. "How..." he finally spoke, his voice neutral, not a hint of the earlier vulnerability visible now. "How have you been? Not just professionally... personally."
Elias looked up, confused. "Eh?"
Louis sighed. The other still wasn't getting it. Still bad at picking up hints, huh? He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I'm not asking how you've been at work. I already know that; Yerenika practically doesn't let me forget. She really admires you, you know. Never did I imagine the Dr kang she kept gushing about would be you." he said with a sharp-edged laugh. "-But how have you been personally? How have you been privately? Have you found someone?...You seem to live alone," he remarked casually, having already observed the place.
"I... well, yes. I do live alone. About the relationship part- not really," Elias laughed awkwardly, the tension easing somewhat. "Only in university, and a few after. Nothing in the recent years."
Louis's gaze sharpened, noticing the awkward laugh, the slight stiffening of Elias's shoulders, and the nervousness. He didn't like the answer. He knew it wasn't any of his business, that he had no right to feel jealous over it. But he was a sucker for Elias, and a possessive one at that.
"So, you're still single then," he said, his voice purposefully sharp. It was as if the thought of Elias having other people- friends, partners- after cutting him off was infuriating. Why had Elias moved on when Louis had just... stayed stuck with memories of him? Why was it so easy for Elias to forget and move on?
He grumbled internally, his thoughts swirling at a mile a minute, but he didn't voice any of them. He forced the words back down. It's not like he had any right to feel this way. He just couldn't help the anger bubbling up when thinking about those "one or two" partners.
After a brief silence, they sat at the dining table, Louis placing a glass of wine in front of each of them. His voice was casual, as if his thoughts weren't about to drive him insane. "None of them turned into something serious?"
Elias was quiet for a moment before shaking his head, "Not really."
In a way, Louis was relieved, but immediately more questions arose. Why had all those relationships ended? When? How? Why was it so easy for Elias to get into relationships? He took a sip of wine, trying to suppress the flood of thoughts. Finally, he spoke again, though the question felt odd. "Did you... fall in love with any of them?"
Elias shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the personal question. He took a sip of his drink, avoiding Louis's gaze. "...I don't know. At least, I don't think so. It was mostly... physical."
Louis's grip tightened around the wine glass as he took a sip. His expression remained nonchalant, but his eyes told a different story.
"You don't think so? What does that even mean?" he asked, his tone a little more emotional than intended. His knuckles turned white from how tightly he was gripping the glass, hidden from view by the table. Before Elias could answer, he continued.
"Physical... So you slept with them?" he mused, with a slight hint of irritation in his voice. Still, there was a touch of relief—if it was mostly physical, there was a good chance Elias hadn't developed serious feelings for his past partners.
Elias found the question odd, but he nodded. "I guess."
Louis clenched his jaw, trying to control the anger rising inside him. His mind was racing, full of more questions than answers.
"....How many was it?" he blurted out without thinking, and immediately regretted his idiotic question. This was going so far off track. But now, he couldn't stop. He needed to know.