Sweet Like Sugar - Rottia

CHAPTER XIV

[LOADING...]

[NOW ENTERING CHAPTER XIII]

[WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MILD SEXUAL CONTENT AND MILD TRANSPHOBIA]

[CONTINUE?]

[ENJOY YOUR STAY]

Mattia sat across from Alejandro at their cheap dinner table. They were eating spaghetti with the least expensive sauce they could find at the store. They were both uncomfortably silent. After their conversation in the car they hadn't spoken at all.
Ale was in love with them. Basically the worst possible outcome. Their best friend wanted to be with them right after they fell for another man. Another man he had barely any chance with.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah. We should." Alejandro dar up nervously.
"Great. Um... I don't— like, see you like that."
"I know."
"Sorry. I just— I only see you as a friend."
"It's fine. Not like you can control it."
"If you— if you want I can find someone to stay with while y'know, your feelings heal or whatever."
"No. I would rather always know you're safe. You know how people see you."

He was talking about how he could be hatecrimed. Probably a good concern. Especially considering the life expectancy of trans women. And even though he wasn't technically a trans woman, most people still saw him that way.
"Right. Um... Okay. I uh, I'm sorry again."
"Don't worry about it."

The rest of the dinner was silent again. Mattia shoveled food into xeir mouth, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Xe wanted to call Roshaun. Head his voice, talk to him about whatever came to mind. Just be in his presence.
He got up way before Alejandro, rinsing his plate quick before retreating. He shut and locked his door, jumping in bed. He pulled his phone out and dialed Ro's number quickly.

"Hey love," His wonderful voice came through the phone. Mattia just about melted.
"Hi." Their voice was shaky.
"What's wrong? You sound upset."
"Nothing. I don't really wanna talk about it. How has your day been?"

Roshaun sighed deeply. But nonetheless he started telling them everything he could remember. "Well, we mostly had to do paperwork today. I've been missing you a lot. I took some of my employees out to lunch today."
"Really? Where'd you take them?"
"Some fancy Italian place. It was a 1 year at the company reward."
"That's so sweet!"
"Well if your moral is shit then you'll end up infamous like Amazon."
"Oh. True."

"Didn't you have a doctors appointment today? How did that go love?"
They shrugged, even thought he couldn't see it. "He wants me to take low doses of T so my dysphoria doesn't get so bad."
"And T is testosterone right?"
"Yeah. I dunno how well it'll work cause I already have excess testosterone but I trust him."
   "So you have to take injections?"
   "Well I prefer the gel. I'm afraid of needles."
   "Makes sense."

   Mattia exhaled hard and curled up in bed, pulling his stuffies close. "Can I like, tell you about some um, personal stuff?"
   "Of course you can!" He did that own voice, the one that made him fall apart.
   "Well um... My friend Alejandro right?"
   "Mgm, the one who wants to be a designer."
   "Yeah. Well um, they drove me to the hospital today and, like uhh, he- he told me he's in love with me."

   "What!?" Roshaun stood up abruptly. He knew logically Maria wasn't his partner, but that didn't stop his overwhelming sense of territoriality. Mattia was his, not fucking Alejandro's. "How did you respond?"
   He flinched slightly. "Calm down please." His voice was all quiet and meek. It made Roshaun feel bad.
   "I'm sorry love," he sat down, "continue."
   "I um, I told him the truth. I don't see him as anything more than a best friend."
   "Good. You should be honest with him. Er— they?"

   He giggled lightly. It was cute, how he was trying so hard to be respectful. Bare minimum, but the bar is low nowadays. "Both. Either. Doesn't matter."
   "Okay good. I didn't wanna be a dick."
   "Yeah. I just— I feel bad for rejecting him."
   "Why?"
   "Cause he seems sad. And he's my best friend. But- I, um, I love someone else. A lot. So I dunno."

   He felt his heart drop. Mattia loved someone else? But... 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚘𝚔𝚊𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢, 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.
   "It's okay. Just be honest with him and yourself."
   "Okay. Thank you."
   "Of course baby. I uh, have to go. Goodbye."
   "Bye. I'll talk to you soon."

   He hung up with a sigh. She loved someone else. And he was head over fucking heels. He fell in love with someone who only thought of him as a client. 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚙𝚒𝚍.