Boyfriend
The hum of the city outside was barely audible as Alex sat at his desk, his focus sharp, his mind immersed in the endless sea of emails, reports, and schedules. He had no time to waste on anything that wasn't pressing, but somehow, even in the midst of all that, Jace found a way to crack through his concentration.
Jace was sprawled out on the leather sofa in the corner of Alex's sleek, modern office, flipping through a magazine as if the world wasn't happening around him. Jace always had that air about him—relaxed, too comfortable, like the rules didn't apply to him. Not that Alex cared. Jace was his best friend—hell, his only real friend—and he didn't have to play by any of Alex's usual boundaries.
"I thought you might've forgotten your sister's birthday party when I heard about the flight to Paris," Jace voice broke the silence , his voice light, almost teasing.
Alex didn't lift his eyes from his phone, his fingers tapping steadily as he swiped through the emails. But his lips twitched, a brief flicker of amusement.
"Even if I forgot, you'd remind me," Alex replied, his tone flat but carrying that hint of dry humor that Jace had come to recognize over the years.
"Of course. What are friends for?" Jace said, his voice light, but underneath it was an air of something deeper—loyalty, perhaps. He had known Alex long enough to know how the man's mind worked, and how little it had to do with the things most people concerned themselves with.
Jace could tell Alex wasn't paying him much attention. He was deep in his world of business, just as usual. But that didn't stop him from hearing , almost offhandedly, "I fucking hate that you're dating my sister."
Jace's fingers paused mid-swipe, and for the briefest moment, the tension in the air tightened. Jace was expecting this , but the moment passed quickly.
Alex's expression remained cool, unreadable.
"Thank God you're not your sister," Jace replied, finally glancing up to meet Alex's eyes with a bright smile .
Alex rested against his chair with an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head. "It's not like I'm trying to get in your way. You two are dating for a reason." He wasn't going to let jace get the last word. The dynamics between them—this constant push and pull—had become almost like a ritual. A game which he does like for his stupid sister.
Ding
Before jace could retort, a soft ding came from Alex phone, cutting through the banter.
"Your phone man?" Jace asked, his curiosity piqued, though his tone suggested he wasn't expecting anything particularly urgent.
Alex glanced at the phone screen, and the moment his eyes locked on the name "Katharine" flashing across the display.
"What does she want?" Alex muttered under his breath, as he unlocked the phone.
Jace, with the natural ease of a man who had spent years in Alex's orbit, moved to position himself well on the sofa.
Alex didn't acknowledge the comment right away. His eyes flickered over the message that had come in, his expression hardening with each word. It was brief, but the request was as direct as it was familiar: "Send me money to my account. I need it now."
"Go ask your boyfriend," Alex muttered, his voice sharp. He gave Jace a side eye .His fingers didn't hesitate as he began typing, already transferring the funds to Katharine's account, though his face betrayed none of the frustration he felt.
She replied with an eye roll emoji
Alex didn't respond to the comment. Instead, he swiped the screen away, fingers moving with practiced ease to navigate through the transfer. But then, almost without thinking, he typed out a quick reply to his sister: Don't disturb me anymore.
"That should do it," Alex muttered to himself, but he knew this wouldn't be the last time Katharine reached out. She had a way of always needing something—whether it was money, attention, or simply validation.
"Did my sister tell you she's going anywhere?" he asked, his tone casual, as if he was trying to get to the bottom of things.
.Jace's eyes flickered up briefly from the magazine as he processed the question. "Yes," he replied. "She said she's going out shopping with her best friend."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Shopping?." I never heard about any best friend from her " he muttered to himself
Alex's attention returned to his phone, his fingers moving effortlessly over the screen as he wrapped up the transaction. He was already losing interest in the conversation, the finality in his voice evident. "Ohk."
Jace nodded, though a hint of concern flashed in his eyes. He knew Katharine well enough to understand that there was more to her than what Alex cared to acknowledge. But he wasn't going to press it further. If Alex didn't want to talk about it, that was his choice.
There was a brief pause, the silence in the room almost palpable. Finally, Alex finished with the transaction and put his phone down. His attention briefly flickered to the clock on the wall—time was always a factor for him. He rarely wasted it.
Without looking up, Alex broke the silence with a tone that was as commanding as it was natural. "Let's go eat."
Jace pushed himself off the sofa and moved toward the exit without hesitation, already accustomed to Alex's abrupt shifts in focus. "Alright. I was wondering when you were going to take a break."
Alex didn't respond, nor did he need to. It was understood. The work, the meetings, the tasks—it was all a constant. But sometimes, even the hardest-working man needed to step away, even if just for a moment.
As they stepped out of the office, the world outside was still buzzing with activity, but it seemed far removed from the calm, calculated rhythm that governed Alex's every move. As Jace followed him down the hall, he couldn't help but shake his head with a quiet chuckle.
Alex was always in control. Always cold. Always distant. And yet, somehow, there was a part of him—hidden deep beneath the layers of business deals and cold orders—that still remembered the little things. Even if he hated to admit it.