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Noah had returned home after having gone for the weekly purchases, all his afternoon and night he had noticed a certain decay in his boyfriend; always with the same answer "it's nothing", clearly that answer wasn't enough for him.
Alejandro had gone for a walk in Ark, without realizing he had left his cellphone in the living room. His boyfriend was not normally one to intrude on his privacy but the shortest couldn't avoid it know what was happening to his boyfriend, he noticed the presence of the device after the constant and repetitive tone that it had.
That was when he understood everything (having previously had clues), he knew that the parents of his partner were demanding in life and the success that had to be in his family and each members. The sheer number of unread messages from her parents and their content were heartbreaking.
From the words in those messages and the ones that his boyfriend described, it was clear that Alejandro was the one at the bottom of that horrible "food chain" of endless power and fame, perfection being the least expected in his descendants no matter what. How to achieve it by making the life of each one, a competition and daily survival, for having the podium and respect of all. Unfortunately, his boyfriend was the "least successful" among the three siblings, falling for his family's ruthless criticism along with his repudiation.
He had already seen the two faces of his partner and without a doubt he wasn't going to allow those words to continue hurting the person he loves.
The front door swung open to the barking of his beloved pet.
– I'm back, mi amor – he said, as he removed the leash from the labrador's collar.
His expression was still just as pensive and depressing although he was trying to hide it.
The young Spaniard received no response other than a "Hey", he went to where his boyfriend was, who was with his cellphone in his hand. This upset Alejandro approaching Noah quickly.
– Since when did they start? – He asked while looking at him.
- It's no the big deal. Just my parents being them, it's not important - He sighed sitting next to his boyfriend.
– It is, since when did they start?
Alejandro knew that he no longer had an escape, something that he loved but at the same time feared was how protective Noah became when his loved ones were being threatened.
And he did, words that had originally come out of the latino's parents' mouths were repeated; Seconds, minutes passed where the tallest broke before his boyfriend who listened carefully to every word. His deductions were undoubtedly correct as expected, he had never seen Alejandro in such an unstable and defenseless spot and it was painful.
–At this point in my life I think it's true – He sighed heavily and then covered his face with both hands.
The emotional environment wasn't one of Noah's strengths, he knew how to listen, but it was already obvious that his partner needed to hear something different than the insults and contempt of his family. He had been around a long time since he had genuinely encouraged anyone other than motivational attempts towards Owen but that didn't take away the need to say at least one simple sentence.
– No – I pause to grab a bit of his companion's shirt making him look from him to the boyfriend's – It's not.
The hispanic was going to continue but the bookworm continued with what he started.
– From now on I'm warning you, I don't know how to encourage people so listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you before I start to overthink myself about what I'm going to tell you and believe that I screwed up.
Without thinking, Alejandro agreed.
– Your family cannot be more than wrong, you're not a waste or useless who always will be behind the shadow of his brothers, of course you can become a great scoundrel, an asshole and an elusive eel when it comes to competing leaving all morals as long as get what you want, looking for the first place to gain the recognition that you seek so much from your family.
As Noah spoke he earned a slight "Hey" with a little nudge.
– Will you let me finish? – Silence – Thank you. But they still don't see one of the best people I could have ever met, one who has love to give, a natural Alejandro who doesn't always have to kill himself to be in the first place, you are intelligent, cunning and full of frustrated dreams. You are someone who may seem like the most arrogant person on the planet but if more is ever found out about you, you are someone warm inside and out.
The crying ended, it was the two of them and no one else.
– You have a heart, one that your family decided to ignore while they trampled it, for money and prestige. At least I'm flattered that you let me see you without your mask of absolute perfection.
He finished, not waiting for a second when arms that he knew well wrapped around him. The Spaniard remembered him, in his life and in that house, he wasn't "Alejandro Burromuerto", one of the heirs of one of the most powerful families in different financial and communication areas at various levels; It was just Alejandro, the boyfriend of whom he once launched from a plane for discovering in a short time the mask of a good guy that he himself believed, that at the time he believed unbreakable.
Now he had that same person being the one who consoled him in his despair, fate is rare but he was grateful in parts for that.
– He bury his face in Noah's shoulder – You don't know how much I love you, mi vida. Tengo suerte de tenerte.
That phrase kept repeating itself over and over again, making his boyfriend nervous at certain moments, earning little laughs from him, also joining the gestures that were there.
"He certainly loves that boy"
Noah loves how striking and confident, as much as how judgmental and cloying (in his taste) Alejandro can be.
Alejandro loves how sarcastic and observant, as well as how nervous and willing Noah can be.
They knew they were on the wrong foot but fate directed them up to that moment and what more could they ask for.