Dance Til You Bleed (MxM)

number twenty-three

Nathaniel Azevedo

He was acting strange yesterday, wasn't he? He wasn't the same snappy person he always was.

I could see it. I noticed it. But I didn't say a thing.

I noticed how his eyes were puffy. I noticed how he seemed to fidget. I noticed he seemed more irritable and a lot quieter.

But it's not like I went up to him and asked what was wrong.

It's not like him calling me an asshole and staring at me with this cold and dark look in his eyes hurt my feelings. Or filled me with regret and guilt. Or when I grabbed his wrist and felt how his arm was shaking a piece of my heart shattered.

And I definitely didn't grow anxious when he'd jump when his phone rang. Or when he'd quickly hang up the phone.

It's not like I cared that something was obviously wrong with him.

If something was wrong he wouldn't tell me. He wouldn't look up at me with his big blue eyes and sweet smile while holding my arm and telling me all about his issues. His smile won't slowly die in front of me as tears pour from his soft eyes.

Why?

Because Ariel Jiménez and I don't talk to each other. Ariel Jiménez and I aren't friends. And Ariel Jiménez and I hate each other.

But that's not important now. My mother turns 43 today so it's time to celebrate.

Though at the moment I was sitting in my mother's dressing room as a beautician worked her magic on my mother's face. Enhancing her beauty, of course. My mother is already gorgeous.

"¿Qué tienes en mente, mijo?" My mother's silky voice called out. 

"Nada. Simplemente revisando las posibilidades que podrían hacer que su día sea menos que perfecto."

"Mijo," she chuckled. "My day will be perfect as long as you're beside me the whole night."

"Mama, don't you want to find a man or something?"

"No necesito que ningún hombre sea tan perfecto como yo." She smirked at me through the mirror and I smiled while shaking my head. 

"Sí, mamá. Claro. ¿Cómo podría olvidarlo?" I laughed as I stood up and buttoned my cuffs. 

She laughed as she waved me over. She took my hand in her own and rubbed the dorsal side of my hand with her thumb.

"Nathaniel."

"¿Sí?"

"Do me a favor and don't cause any mayhem with your father."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. I fixed the collar of my maroon-colored shirt.

"Mother, you know just as well as I that any issues Gabriel and I have are not initiated by me."

She sighed.

"This is what I mean, mijo."

I stood up and rolled my shoulders back. My mother waved off the beautician and excused her so that she and I could speak alone.

Her black hair was curled and styled to the left side of her head and flowed down her shoulder. She wore this slim-fit maroon-colored dress. There were gems decorated on the sides of her waist and the top of the sleeves which only went up to below her shoulders. There were thin straps on her shoulders and sheer fabric over the sleeves of the dress.

Her red velvet heels sat by the door while she wore a pair of bright pink fuzzy slippers.

"You always have something to say when it comes to your father. Something negative. Nothing positive. He's your father, Nathaniel. Have some respect."