The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Chapter 13

At first, he had been stubborn to prove it wasn't a big deal... But then he saw how uncomfortable people would get when he'd point out something nobody else noticed. When he could predict somebody's military history based on their walk or tell if someone was having an affair by one glance at their ring. People got freaked out, so he suppressed it.

But ever since that first day he had begun passing enough to benefit from how society viewed men, people suddenly cared about his observations. Suddenly people at his dad's club wanted to pull him into business or make deals with him... Sometimes even blackmail him or his family if they found out something they had desperately tried to keep hidden.

He knew people all too well. He knew they were greedy and couldn't be trusted with secrets unless they got something in return. He just hadn't figured out what Jayce wanted out of him... Whether it was money or humiliation, he was willing to pay it. Because nothing he asked of him could be worse than being outed.

"Hey" Markos's heart dropped as the handsome black-haired boy sat across from him. He narrowed his eyes in slight defiance. He hated that Jayce knew... He wished it had been anyone else... Hell, he would have been happier if Jayce just hate-crimed him rather than promising to keep his mouth shut. Promises meant having to keep trust in someone. Trusting someone was just setting yourself up for betrayal. And betrayal hurt worse than any punch Jayce could have thrown.

"Why are you talking to me?" Markos deadpanned. Jayce nervously bit down on his bottom lip, glancing down at his tray.

"I don't know... I guess I wanted to check in? Like, am I supposed to do that?" Jayce awkwardly mumbled. Markos scowled, still feeling apprehensive of the boy. He hated that Jayce was suddenly treating him differently. Just last week Jayce would have sat with Markos to insult him and that was it. He hated that Jayce was suddenly all soft with him.

"No, and if you do I will hit you" Markos deadpanned. "The only thing you need to do his name your price and never talk to me or anyone about this again"

"I already told you, I don't want anything" Jayce scoffed. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because I'm not stupid. I know people, Jayce. People are greedy and selfish... So what is it? Money? Luxuries?" Markos demanded. He hated how much he sounded like his parents. Bribery was the only way they settled things with him... This was why Markos had a collection of cars, a never-ending supply of clothing and jewelry, and had vacationed in the Bahamas, Brazil, France, and Japan almost yearly. Bribery was the only way he knew to solve things and Jayce was finally catching on.

"If I ask for something will it put that over-active mind of yours to rest?" Jayce chuckled. Markos rolled his eyes but reluctantly nodded. Jayce smiled and reached out grabbing one of Markos's hands. His heart leaped in his chest and he was about to yank his hand away and yell at him until he realized exactly what Jayce was doing.

He forced himself to ignore how warm Jayce's hands were compared to his. He knew the gesture wasn't even plutonic, it was simply Jayce wanting to inspect his rings. But that didn't change how odd the feeling was... Markos wasn't a super touchy-feely person. He would hug someone if they were upset but outside of that, any physical touch was just awkward for him which only made how long Jayce was taking more frustrating.

"That one" Jayce decided as he pointed at a simple ring carved from black diamond in the shape of a snake. It was worth nearly ten grand but there was no doubt in his mind that Jayce thought it was the cheapest one he owned. He didn't blame him... It was unlikely that Jayce was familiar with priceless gems and metals. If Markos were to guess which was the cheapest at first glance he would have picked that one too.