Thorns of affection
"Thank goodness it's finally over!" Mrs. MacGregor sighed with relief as she settled into her favorite sofa in the living room. After hours of watching outside, mostly seeing her tireless and talkative son, they were finally inside their humbled home.
"Zane, please stay for dinner," she added, almost forgetting that she had invited the chef.
"Oh, you don't have to, ma'am," Zane replied. He wouldn't have minded if dinner were closer to being served, but it was only two p.m. and he wasn't sure what he would do in their house, especially since he was exhausted from dealing with her son's constant teasing when he got the chance.
"I insist. I don't take no for an answer," Mrs. MacGregor said firmly. Even though Zane didn't want to, he finally agreed. He didn't want to upset Mrs. MacGregor, so he decided to go along with her request.
"Helen, please show Zane to the guestroom so he can rest. I know he must be tired," she instructed the maid who was cleaning the table.
"Right this way, Chef," She said, leading Zane to the guestroom after saying 'yes maam' to her employer. Zane thanked Mrs. MacGregor briefly, and she responded with "No problem" while smiling.
"Mother Earth!! Where's Leon? My baby is nowhere to be found!" Max cried out in a panic when he couldn't find his serbian cat. He was about to feed Leon his late lunch, but when he couldn't spot him, Max searched every corner of his room, thinking Leon might just be hiding. After coming up empty, he rushed through the living room and around the entire house, panting heavily as he relayed the news to his mother.
"He must be wandering around outside, dork. Let him stroll. He'll come back later, I'm sure of it, so don't panic too much," May assured her son. It was normal for Leon to go outside the mansion and play. Max rarely comes home, so Leon often stayed outside, chasing butterflies in Mrs. MacGregor's botanical garden. After all, Leon no longer had anyone to play with inside.
Max agreed, but with one condition. "Fine, but if he's not back by 4:30 sharp, I'm leading a search operation for my cat."
Once Max finally returned to his room, the mansion fell quiet, allowing May to relax for a few hours. She was gathering energy to prepare dinner, which she planned to make extra special since Zane, her favorite chef whom she used to watch on YouTube, was gonna eat there.
When 4:30 arrived and Leon still hadn't returned, Max's anxiety doubled. He felt like he was on the verge of fainting if he didn't find his precious baby. Given how large the estate was, Max followed through with his plan, organizing a full search and rescue operation. Which is divided into 10 groups by two's, zane included partnered with Max. He wants to help find the lost cat since he knows how hard it feels when you know your cat is missing.
Each duo searched every corner of the estate—through the courtyards, the small forest, the ranch, and the pond (worried that Leon might have eaten May's three fish)—but found nothing. Meanwhile, Mrs. MacGregor had gone to spend some time with her husband after preparing the ingredients for dinner, hoping to lighten her workload a bit. Her husband often became so absorbed in his work that he forgot to eat, even when food was right in front of him.
The last place they checked was Mrs. MacGregor's botanical garden, a hidden gem they had nearly overlooked. As they stepped through the arched trellis draped in vibrant blooms, a delightful sight met their eyes. There was Leon, the playful black cat, dashing around the garden like a furry little tornado.
With his soft paws raised high, he leapt joyfully into the air, pouncing on nothing at all, as if he were engaged in a grand chase with an invisible foe. His little tail twitched with excitement, and the sunlight caught his glossy fur, making him look like a tiny, mischievous shadow dancing among the colorful flowers, making the heir and chef chuckled at how cute the scene was.
After finally retrieving Leon, who had reluctantly stopped his playful antics of chasing butterflies—just as May had suspected—the duo made their way back home, feeling exhausted from their search.
"Oh, by the way, Mrs. West invited you to her place on Wednesday. It's her husband, Mr. Berny's, birthday," Zane mentioned, carrying Leon in his arms since the cat refused to be held by Max and had even scratched the heir's arms out of frustration. It seemed Leon was sulking because Max, despite his rare visits to the mansion, hadn't taken the time to play with him earlier.
"Okay," Max replied with a shrug, though internally he was celebrating because Zane had spoken to him in a soft and calm tone, not the usual angry, serious, or sarcastic one.
From Zane's perspective, he had spoken gently because, for once, Max wasn't irritating him. Plus, he had to stay calm, or Leon might escape from his hold.
"Wait." Max suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting to something shimmering in the sunlight nearby. He reached down and picked up a delicate light pink hibiscus, its petals soft and inviting.
"The flower suits you," he said, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he tucked the flower behind Zane's ear. The bright contrast against Zane's dark hair created a charming look.
Zane was left speechless. He had grown accustomed to Max's daily routine of jokes and playful pranks, so the unexpected compliment left him momentarily disarmed. Was this sincerity, or was it just another one of Max's antics? His brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced at Max, searching for a hint of mischief in his expression.
"Witty," Zane muttered, attempting to brush off the compliment as he walked away, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. He wanted to maintain his cool demeanor, but inside, he felt a mix of embarrassment and warmth.
Max, on the other hand, stood frozen in place, stunned by what he had just done. He couldn't believe it. His life was often a whirlwind of impulsive decisions, with actions usually preceding thought, but this particular moment felt different. As he watched Zane walk away, he found himself engulfed in a wave of thoughts.
"Hey, wait for me!" he yelled when he noticed Zane was already a good distance ahead. But the chef paid no mind, lost in his own thoughts about why Max had done that. A slight blush formed on his cheeks as he buried his face in Leon's fur, whose comfortable in the chef's embrace, didn't react violently and let Zane be.
"WAIT—OUCHHH!!!" Zane snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a loud shout not far behind. There, he saw Max on the ground, having tripped. He wasn't watching his step, too eager to catch up with Zane. As he ran, he didn't notice the thorny bougainvillea, stems lying on the side, likely forgotten to be thrown away. It wasn't anyone's fault, really, as they were placed carefully on the side. Max must have strayed from the path.
"What did you do!" Zane scolded, worried when he saw Max's knee bleeding, with small thorns stuck in his skin, enough to make anyone wince in pain.
As Zane still holds Leon and Max, sitting on the ground clutching his knee, exchanged looks, Max suddenly burst into tears, crying like a baby.
"IT HURTS!!!" he wailed, not knowing what to do with the thorns lodged in his knee.
"How did you even trip!" Zane reprimanded him as he set Leon down and inspected Max's wound.
"You're in trouble! This is serious! If this gets infected, it'll lead to a three-month coma!" Zane lied, though the truth was that it could get infected if not properly cleaned.
Upon hearing how serious the situation could be, Max cried even harder, panicking and asking if he was going to die. In a flurry of emotions, he specified what kind of suit he wanted to wear at his funeral, saying he wanted to look just like Kento Nanami from *Jujutsu Kaisen*. If that wasn't possible, he added that he wouldn't mind being cremated and having his ashes scattered instead.
Zane would have kept teasing Max, drawing out the moment for a bit of revenge, but this wasn't the right time. He could always get back at him later; right now, Max's safety was the priority.
"Come here," Zane instructed as he located a nearby water source.
"I CAN'T!" Max whimpered, still sniffling and utterly terrified. He had become so helpless that Zane almost regretted scaring him .
"Yes, you can!" He countered. The thorns weren't that deep; Max could easily take five steps. He was just being dramatic, making a huge fuss over nothing.
After some hesitation, Max finally managed to shuffle his way over to Zane, but the moment he sat down, the waterworks started again. Zane rolled his eyes, torn between wanting to pinch him for being so over the top and just wanting to chuckle. Leon, on the other hand, watched the spectacle with the utmost nonchalance, as if this was just another episode of Max's daily drama. Not even a flick of his tail in response to Max's sudden screams when Zane carefully began removing the thorns and cleaning the wound. Luckily, Zane had been a Boy Scout in his youth, so he was well-versed in basic first aid.
"I think I'm falling in love," Max suddenly declared, eyes wide and sparkling as he watched Zane tie the bandage with his towel. To Max, the little chef looked so cool and professional.
At that, Zane tightened the bandage just a tad more, eliciting a dramatic wince from Max.
"Is that a song lyric?" Zane asked, standing up after finishing with the wound, eyebrow raised in playful skepticism.
"Let's go." extending his hand to help Max up.
From that moment on, Max couldn't seem to control his mouth. He blurted out every cringey line he could think of, " Every time I see you, my brain forgets how to be a brain."
Each more ridiculous than the last, insisting they were just song lyrics. Zane let it slide, amused by Max's ridiculous punch line, which only made Max want to up the cringey lines.
That day, amidst thorns and tears, Max confirmed his growing feelings for the young chef. Determined to get Zane's attention, he decided to annoy him, tease him, and do whatever it took to win him over. But now, each jab came with a hint of sweetness and meaningful glances that hadn't been there before, turning the teasing into a tender game that neither of them quite understood but both secretly enjoyed.