A sweet and savouring aroma swirled in the air of the cozy little home planted between a garden of flowers ranging from rare blossoming Franklinias to simple red roses.
It was a fresh Sunday afternoon where on the rare occasions of Edinburgh no rain showers but a baby ray light of sun filled the surroundings as the two women inside the little home were busy doing their own chores.
The elder woman stuck to the kitchen baking plum cakes for the guest to be received in an hour whereas the younger girl locked herself inside her bedroom, going through subjects after subjects and works to works in order to get them all done by the time the obnoxiously boisterous but the sweetest guest arrived and occupied all her time for the day.
Just as Lia was about to open the next subject the door bell rung which had the girl to sprint out of the door in a minute dropping all her subjects as she saw the person standing at front door with flowers and a tiny bags.
Before she could advance to welcome the guest her mother bet her to it.
"Welcome to our humble residence dear boy." She said with a sweet smile as she let the boy in.
"Hello Mrs. Pearl. I got flowers for you." Cyrus held out the minimal bouquet of yellow roses which had the elder woman gushing in adoration.
"Aww. So sweet of you young boy. Thank you."
Cyrus nodded smiling shyly not knowing how to reply.
Lia stood in silence, leaning against the wall next to her bedroom folding her hands under her chest wearing a black sweat set as her hair was tied up in a messy bun while her ear piercings were the only ornaments completing her look.
"Since when did you become so shy? And since when did you both act so formal with each other? Last time I checked you both were bickering about who had the better back?" The youngest among all the three spoke up amusement written all over her face.
"Oh shut up! I and mom thought we would have a little scene when I come home after so long and it was going so well until you ruined it." The tattooed boy whined as the elder pearl just chuckled proceeding to put the flowers in a long glass of water.
"Scene? What scene? When did you both even discuss about this?" Lia's with a puzzled expression made her way over to the dining table where other two were setting up the dishes for the lunch.
"Remember it's not only you who has phone in the household? Mom has one too." Cyrus rolled his eyes as he placed down the plates and spoons.
"That I know! But you said me to not tell mom that you were coming and wanted it to be a surprise?" Lia still not understanding a thing sat down on the chair as the elder boy took the chair next to her.
"Maybe I already let mom know first before telling you." Cyrus added grinning as he filled both his and Lia's plates as the elder woman had said she would serve herself because only she knew how much quantity she would have.
"Oh damn! That's why she was so keen on preparing plum cakes today. They are your favourite! And I thought it was just a coincidence?" Lia laughed out at her own cluelessness as she hit the boy's shoulder almost pushing him off the chair.
"Now you understand why I call you a dumb puppy?" Her mother added on finally setting the prepared drinks on the table with a smile.
"Dumb puppy is way too sweet mom. You should have named her idiot rabbit." The boy laughed out as Lia's mother chuckled nodding her head in agreement.
Lia just stared at them both laughing and smiled while the three continued to eat and chat in between.
In middle of the lunch Lia zoned out, turning her thoughts inwards while continuing to finish her plate mindlessly,as she thought about how day by day her darling was getting farther and farther from her.
It was not like they both had stopped talking to each other. No. In fact they spoke, for most part of the day if not all day like before. But the difference was that the other girl was not present with her anymore.
All their talks was filled about some random topics about which they both were well aware that neither of them were interested in. Yet, continued to just chat only to fill the gap, make it seem like they were fine and back like before.
And one more thing the elder was not blind enough to miss out was. Austin.
How often the younger talked about him and how fascinated she was to talk about him and then abruptly stop in middle like she was not supposed to talk about the guy or something.
When the girl spoke about him for the first time, Lia was genuinely happy and Lia still is but this nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was more to the picture than she is able to see was a constant.
She wondered if the girl herself was aware of her behavior, it felt like Lia was watching the demise of what they were, right in front of her eyes and chose to stay silent because she was afraid that if she spoke about this then the terror of finding out that this nagging feeling was not just a nagging but a reality filled her veins.
So Lia deceived herself into thinking this was all nothing but her own mind playing tricks on her and pushing her into overthinking.
The funny thing was that the calls were more frequent when the younger had no phone compared to now when she has her own. Lia tried asking if the other was comfortable for a call two days after their call where the younger had excitedly shared that she had got new phone but the other had just avoided the question and when asked again had given a vague answer and moved on to something else.
So, since then the elder kept quite and never bought up the topic to not upset the younger and also to not hurt her own heart. It's been two weeks since that call and all they ever spoke was about anything else but about them both.
One was filled with terror to even bring their topic while the other was adamant on just avoiding the topic all together.
That was how their talks and days have been going.
Closing her eyes, Lia took in a deep breath to stable her thoughts and to not let out any signs of feeling sad in front of the two people who meant the world to her.
Finishing the last bite of the plum cake Lia left to discard the used crocckeries ducking her down to not let the other catch on to her mood but unknown to her the said two members had already observed her expression but kept quiet to not make it obvious as it seemed like the other definitely did not want to discuss about it anytime soon.
"No one can beat your plum cakes mom! The best plum cake baker!" Cyrus chimed in a high pitched voice noting that the atmosphere was falling.
"Of course! I am the best!" Elder pearl played along dramatically flipping her hair which had the girl who had turned her attention to them hearing the chiming voice, chuckle softly.
Cyrus continued to blabber stuffs and the elder lady continued to play along adding few cheeky comments until they both had Lia laughing out loudly.
"You guys! Stop it! My cheeks hurts! You both do not have the better back. I am the one with an amazing-godly-sculpted better back!" Lia croaked out still laughing as she turned around wiggling her back.
"No way! It's me with the best back!" Cyrus exclaimed as he also turned around wiggling his butt.
Elder pearl threw her head back laughing out loud as she saw her children wiggling butts at each other in middle of the kitchen as they were still cleaning the table.
"Silence. We all have the better butts because I am your mother! Now come here and help me clean the table" Jenna ordered with a warm tone as the youngers giggled turning around, looking at each other and joined their mother.
After finishing the cleaning,Lia's mother announced that she would be taking a nap and left the kitchen whereas the youngers crashed on Lia's small bed.
"Get your ass down on the floor!" With that sentence Cyrus was pushed down on the floor as Lia sprawled out on her bed in a starfish manner.
Feeling too tired to fight back the tatooed boy mirrored her position on the floor.
"Are you seeing anyone currently?" Lia broke the silence as she stretched further to turn on the switch for the fan and settled back comfortably.
"Yeah! Three guys and two girls." The answer came nonchalantly.
"What?! You are dating all of them simultaneously? Wow." Lia just spoke in pure shock as she wondered how did the other manage to even do that.
"Can you like stop thinking nonsense. How on the earth did you believe that I would date more than one person at a time?" Cyrus let out annoyed that the other had really bought that lie so easily.
"What can I do? I am just open minded and take the information for what it is. I do not twist and judge people for their choices." Lia let out as a matter of fact.
"Way too broad minded for your own good." Cyrus sighed with a small smile for which he received a shrug but could not see it as he had his eyes closed still sprawled out on the floor.
"Be serious. This is a very crucial information I am asking for. Are you dating anyone right now?"
"No Li. I am fed up with people walking all over me in the name of care and love. Screw that shit."
Lia opened her eyes abruptly peeking down her bed at the boy who was now sleeping in a more comfortable position with an arm under his head and other on his abdomen.
She layed back as she sighed internally. How could she not keep tabs about where the other had reached in terms of dating? Of course after so many messy relationships people were bound to think the way the elder boy thought right now.
So she carefully bought up her next question. "So you are not open for dating anymore?"
Well if the boy had brains, he would figure out by now that she definitely had someone on mind to bring this topic up.
Seems like the other was not that dumb after all. Why? Because-
"You are asking this for a reason, aren't you? What is it? Spill. Now."
The boy had sat upright now staring at the girl who was now staring up at the ceiling as she sat upright too.
This is not how she planned it to go but if this is how it is then she might as well go along with it. Anything for her best friend's happiness.
"Yes. I do have a reason but you tell me first. Do you not want to date anymore? Be honest."
Cyrus stared at her for a moment before sighing and looking down at his now crossed legs.
"It is scary. And I am tired." He started with a small voice as Lia stayed silent letting him talk.
"Maybe not having a good set of parents does that you, I guess?" He chuckled bitterly.
"It felt so alone to be by myself and at that age all I knew was dating can be of some good help. So I gave into it. Since then whoever asked me out, I went with them. Dates after dates. Only for them to either dump me or cheat on me or for me to break up with them because they would not be truly present in the relationship." Cyrus let out a deep sigh,as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Do you know Li? How many times I have been left stranded in middle of the road or got hung up on my dates? Now it has reached to a point where if anyone approaches me, my first thought is to push them away. Keep a safe distance between that person and me. Why is to so easy for people to play with other's feelings and leave them broken as if they never mattered in the first place?" By now a tear or two had escaped the boy's eyes as he stared at the girl.
Lia got down slowly sitting next to him back huggjng him and they stayed that way for awhile until the other boy spoke.
"So wanna tell me what you have on mind?"
Lia let out a deep breath as she loosely draped her arms around the boy who was now leaning back on her.
"Do you trust me?" Lia let out hesitantly not knowing how to say what she had on her mind. She did not feel that it would be fair for the boy to be asked out on a date at this time.
"Yes." Answered the boy instantly making the younger girl smile.
She still did not know how to say it to the boy so the boy himself spoke again breaking out of the hug and turned around facing the younger.
"Don't think too much. It's you. And you would never do something wrong by me. Not just me but by anyone. So just break it yea? How I react is my responsibility not your's." He let out softly meeting the girl's eyes as he patted her head.
Lia nodded smiling. "There is this person. He is from your university. He is a very good guy. A very sweet and adorable human being. And his looks is a plus point. His eyes are to die for. I am a fan of it, of course. And he is just everything that you have been asking for and I believe he would turn out to be more than what you expected for in the future. And it's just-I mean-I get it you are not in the mindset for a date right now. It's totally alright. But it's just that he is a good guy and I think he deserves a chance with you. If you don't like him after that,then you can tell him. I just-"
Cyrus chuckled loudly at the girl's nervous rambling as he firmly held the girl's shoulder effectively putting a stop to it as Lia smiled anxiously looking anywhere but him.
"Name?" Lia titled her head to the side, confused.
Cyrus smiled shaking his head as he retrieved back his hands. "This guy you are rambling about. His name?" He asked again slowly making sure the girl caught on.
"Chris Whillow." She let out abruptly too anxious that she had somehow upset the boy.
"So you are approving and asking me to go on a date with him. Did I get it right?" He asked still smiling sweetly at the concerned girl.
"Yes, yes!" She nodded her head violently and added quickly "I mean only if you are willing to and are comfortable."
"Sure.I will." Lia swiftly looked up at the boy taken aback by the answer.
"That's it? You accepted it so easily? I mean not that it's a bad thing. But you said you did not want to go on dates right now?" She mumbled still feeling guilty that she somehow had pressured the boy into this.
"Of course yes." The boy let out as if it was a obvious thing that the other should have known.
"Why?"
Cyrus sighed at the girl's cluelessness. "Because you are the one who is asking me to go out with this guy. Who else can be more careful with my heart more than you and mom?"
Lia's eyed welled with tears as she threw her arms around the boy. Cyrus embraced her with a light smile.
Pulling back Lia spoke. "Of course, I will try my best to be careful with anything about you. Chris is a very sweet human being Rus. I have this weird sense of faith in him to not hurt you and also to make you happy. And if by any chance he screws up, I will pack his ass to Antarctica. Worry not!"
Cyrus nodded his head still smiling. "And it works the same for you too. Don't have your silly ways with him and hurt him for no reason. He has been hurt enough too. You too should be careful with him. If you hurt Chris, I.. What shall I do with you?" Lia thought for a moment before exclaiming.
"I will sign you up as a worker in Arabia. That way you will suffer without knowing the language and in an unknown place. How's my plan?" Lia batted her eyes at the boy as he raised his hands in surrender.
"No need to get so aggressive. I will be careful with him." Cyrus did not miss the tone of affection the other had used while talking about the boy which intrigued him to know more about this person. Because if he has made Lia to take such a liking for him, then he surely must be a kind person.
"Tell me more about him." He urged which was slapped down right away.
"Learn it yourself from him." Lia shrugged before lying down next to him.
Cyrus pouted slightly but nonetheless snuggled into the girl as the other spooned him from behind.
The elder boy was bigger in size but he always ended up being a small kid in front of the younger girl and the other had no complaints in pampering the boy.
Cyrus had lost his mother at a young age and his father left him alone,getting married. So during the days he should have been loved and played, Cyrus had started working to fill his own stomach and slept on streets and next to shop shutters.
Drenched in rain and dirtied by the dust. He had built his own life from scratch. Now renting a small apartment while he worked as a part-time assistant editor in one of the local gaming companies.
So his heart yearned for the love he was deprived off during his childhood which had it's effects as he grew up pushing him into friendships and relationships that were harmful.
It had affected his mental state to the point that he had turned to drugs and alcohol to keep himself sane. But before it could get completely out of hand, the boy had come to his sense and decided to build a better life for himself when he was in junior year. A year before he met Lia.
Since then he has never looked back to the old patterns he had lived. And Lia's addition to his life had bought all he had hoped for from his family which was destroyed even before he could grow up.
When Lia first introduced him to her mother and explained about his life. The elder woman had welcome the boy with open arms. "From now on you are my son. You are a part of us. Never think that you do not have family anymore.This is your home,you can come whenever you want and stay for as long as you want. Ask me anything that you want,mom will get you yea?" That was her exact sentence as she had embraced the boy in a warm, motherly hug which had the boy crying like a baby that had Lia crying and that had the elder woman herself crying.
Since then, Lia and her mother have been his family and he was their's. When everything fell apart in Lia's life almost two years ago, Cyrus had to reluctantly let them be because Lia had wished for some time for herself which had the boy to lose touch completely with them both. And throughout all those months not even for a moment had he resented the girl for keeping him away from his family rather he was worried for the younger's well-being.
Post those thoughts running through the boy's mind "Do not ask me to leave ever again. Whatever it is I will also be by your side and we will face it together. Got it?" The boy tightened his hands over the girls arms that was draped over his shoulder.
"Yes brother." "Brat."
"Is there something else that you want to talk about Li?" The hint of knowing in that sentence had the girl understand what he was referring. He must have caught her face hanging at the dining table, that means her mother also would have known. She sighed.
"Not today Rus." She mumbled already feeling sad remembering everything that has been happening between her and the girl she loved.
"Okay." The elder whispered not pushing the topic.
They both dozed off until late evening when their mother had come to wake them up.
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Hey everyone'
This chapter was meant to give more depth to Cyrus character and how important he is in Lia's life and vice versa.
Hope you all enjoyed it! Good day...