Love Flavored Latte

Chapter 23 - Meaningful Simplicity

Ray let out a sigh as he walked up to his house's front entrance, fumbling for his key once he was in front of it. It had been a long tiring day for him. Not only did he have classes to teach, but he also had to work until late in his office. It made him think of how he sometimes envied his students. When he was still one, he had complained about how much work he was given and how he had wished he could just graduate as soon as possible. But then, despite all that, at least he could still take some time off school work during summer break. Now, as a professor, he could no longer have a proper break, because he had to come to the university to teach summer classes. He really hadn't thought of this when he decided to become a college professor.

Unlocking the door and stepping inside, he had expected silence when something, or rather someone, rushed to him.

"Ray, you're back!"

Ray was startled for a moment, but upon seeing who it was, a smile bloomed on his lips as he patted the younger man's head.

"I'm home, Matt."

That's right, I have a boyfriend now.

Ray thought as he took in Matt's smile, the beam that always brightened up his mood. This moment seemed like something typical of an everyday life, but to Ray, it was a scene straight out of his dreams. Being greeted by his partner at the door after a long day, it was something he had thought he could never experience.

From time to time, when he came home weary from work, the silent atmosphere of his house strangely felt gloomy to him. It weighed his heart down and made him nostalgic, reminding him of the hopes and dreams he had abadoned. He remembered how he had wished to come home and be welcomed by a cozy air, with his partner greeting him and his children running up to him.

He knew that from the minute he decided to stay single for the rest of his life, that ideal image of a happy family would forever be a far-fetched dream. It felt exactly like a beautiful painting being smashed into thousands of pieces. He had comforted himself over and over again, saying that looking at those shattered pieces was better than getting his heart broken again. Even so, whenever that thought crossed his mind, he was no longer in the mood to even have dinner that day.

But things had changed, because he had his angel by his side now. This summer, he wouldn't be coming back to an empty house anymore, since Matt would be living with him until the new semester began. Neither of them could believe that this was actually happening. The moment the idea popped up in Ray's mind, it seemed rather extreme, sending a wave of nervousness through him. But he eventually ended up deciding to ask Matt about it because the latter had to move out of his dorm during summer vacation, which would be a good opportunity for them to try living together. The look on Matt's face that day was still vivid in his mind. He had on a very dumbfounded expression and his eyes were fixated on the key before him as if it was hypotizing him.

Thinking about it made Ray chuckle sometimes, but it did stir up a tingling feeling everytime he was reminded of it. He felt less lonely whenever he returned to a quiet house, because he knew that after Matt came back from his parents' place, they would start living together. The one-month wait was truly worth it.

Not only did he come home to a warm welcome and a delicious meal, he also got the chance to know the feeling of being taken care of. Being a busy professor, he usually overworked himself, staying up until midnight or every early in the morning to finish his work. He would then found himself waking up with papers surrounding him and realizing that he had fallen asleep at his desk, which was something that had happened very frequently. Although he knew it was unhealthy, he couldn't really do anything about it.