"Mom, how about we try making those overfilled donuts like the ones on the internet today?"
"Overfilled donuts?"
"Yeah! Here, let me show you." Jamie swiped through his phone for just a moment before handing it to his mom. Honestly, his mom was super modern—sometimes even more in touch with youth culture than he was.
Maybe it was because she had lived abroad for years, making her open-minded about many things, including topics like sexuality.
Jamie could talk to his mom and dad about anything without hesitation.
"Then we need to go out and buy the ingredients. I'll warm up the oven in the meantime."
"Got it, boss!"
"Oh, and pick up some salmon for Dad too. He's been saying he wants some. Here's some money—buy whatever else you want to eat."
"I've never loved anyone as much as I love you." Jamie let out a dramatic cry, thrilled at the generous shopping budget. Being an only child had its perks—his parents spoiled him like crazy. Before he could run up and kiss his mom to emphasize his love, he got a firm pinch on the side instead.
"I bet once you have a wife, you won't love your mom as much anymore."
"Ouch, that's harsh!"
"It's true! Every son ends up loving his wife more than his mom."
"Not me. Those girls? They'll never have my heart. They might get my body, but that's it."
"Sigh You're giving me a headache. Just go already."
Oof. That was intense.
Jamie twirled the car keys in his hand, nodding in thanks as the family's gardener opened the gate. The house used to have an automatic gate, but Dad had it removed because he thought it was too slow. Classic dad move—always impatient.
The sleek white car rolled out of the large house at a steady pace. Jamie could brag about many things, but flaunting family wealth? That was a no-go. It was 2020, after all. Enough was enough. He wouldn't let himself be a victim anymore!
It didn't take long to reach the nearest mall. Realizing he needed a caffeine fix after a rough night's sleep, he decided to grab an iced latte. But as he turned into Starbucks, he spotted someone sitting behind a MacBook, using a digital pen tablet, and wearing the nerdiest glasses ever.
Hot nerd, to be precise.
Fashion-wise, he never lost to anyone.
"Shit."
Marvis muttered under his breath when he looked up from his screen and saw someone casually plopping into the seat across from him—pushing his hot chocolate toward him with a teasing grin.
"Surprise :p"
"You scared me :("
"Hey there~"
Marvis sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his temples. He was genuinely startled. He hadn't expected to run into anyone. He had brought his work to Starbucks because staying alone in his room felt stifling for some reason. But at the same time, he had to admit—he preferred working in silence.
Maybe it all just depended on his mood.
"Aww, sorry! Did I ruin your vibe?"
"Nah, just stressed about work."
"Want me to help?"
"Yeah, by stopping yourself from drinking my hot chocolate."
"Ahh!" Jamie burst out laughing, making Marvis—who had been stressed out—smile despite himself. He didn't even know why, but somehow, having someone here felt better than being alone.
"Don't mess with me—I'm an art student, okay?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. Fine Arts, actually."
"Draw something for me?"
"I'll draw for you later, promise! But first, let me grab a latte—and I'll buy you a new hot chocolate to make up for the one you lost."
Marvis shook his head with a small smile, watching Jamie's broad back as he walked away. He really did look like he had just stepped out of his house, dressed in the most casual outfit possible—flip-flops and all.
Seeing him like this felt oddly refreshing.
"I got you a whoopie pie too. Do you like it? It has a crust."
"I can eat it."
"Why do they only sell these in December? Can't people crave whoopie pies all year?"
"Then make your own. Thought you were confident?"
"Don't challenge me! I literally came here after buying ingredients to make donuts, okay?"
"You always manage to surprise me."
"Excuse me? Sweet guys can bake too."
Jamie huffed before settling into the seat beside Marvis.
Marvis, who hated the freezing AC in coffee shops, instinctively scooted closer to Jamie's warmth.
It felt completely natural—the way the smaller man leaned his head against
Jamie's shoulder, slid his arm against Jamie's warmer one, and nestled in as if he were curling up beside a fireplace.
"Damn, how am I supposed to use my mouse like this?"
"I'm cold."
"Fine, fine. What do you want me to draw?"
"Draw me."
"Every girl in this university dreams of being drawn by me, you know. I'm serious—I mean it."
Marvis didn't respond, just smiled as Jamie began sketching in bold black strokes. He laughed when he finally saw what Jamie had drawn—
"A dog? Seriously?" He gave Jamie a light shove.
"Well, you kinda look like one."
"Do it over—I don't want to be a dog."
"I don't really want to draw your face, though. You always give me that flirty look. It's distracting."
"Please."
Jamie continued sketching, this time drawing a cat with a red collar and an "M" tag. Marvis whined about not wanting to be a cat either. Jamie then proceeded to sketch a bow-tied bear cub, a lioness, and a rainbow-shelled turtle.
It was fun, honestly—listening to Marvis laugh at the little things he did.
"A whole damn zoo, I guess."
Jamie shook his head before saying,
"Alright, I'll get serious now."
Finally, he looked down at Marvis—who never once broke eye contact. Jamie had never really experienced this before. He knew Marvis wasn't being clingy; he was just cold. But still—how did he end up getting cuddled like this?
"Your lines are really cute."
"Of course. I love compliments—I won't even argue."
"You can draw in so many styles." Marvis commented, watching Jamie shift from doodling to a more detailed portrait—carefully adding shading before finally setting down his pen tablet with a satisfied nod.
"You're really talented."
"That sounds like you're expecting something in return."
"Not at all. You're just genuinely talented."
"Alright, alright, I believe you."
"So, are you still going shopping? Want me to come with you? I don't feel like working anymore."
"Oh? Now I'm the one distracting you?"
"I can go. My work isn't urgent—I'm the one stressing myself out."
"Then let's go! I'll carry your MacBook."
Jamie offered and started packing up Marvis' things for him before he even had to move. With a wave, Jamie signaled him to follow along.
Marvis just smiled, trailing behind him—watching the way Jamie's plain T-shirt hung over his broad back.
The old Cartoon Network shows he loved as a kid, ripped denim shorts, sneakers—
And—
"You look so cute today."
"Ha."
"You look so cute today."
The heart inside Jamie's chest pounded wildly. He quickly turned his attention back to the aisle because if he kept looking at Marvis—who had just flashed him that sweet smile—he might actually collapse on the spot.
Too strong. Way too strong. He could never win against this kind of attack.
"Can I push the cart?"
"Oh—sure, whatever you want."
"I heard that making good donuts is actually really hard. Is that true?"
"Yeah, it's true. Sometimes the dough just doesn't turn out right. I'm not really worried about the filling—since we're making stuffed donuts—but if the dough isn't good, then the whole thing is pointless. Everything has to
work together."
"You sound so passionate about baking."
"Well, my mom bakes too. I've been doing it since I was a kid. I'll make pecan cookies for you to try next time."
"That's so cute."
"That's the second time you've called me cute! What exactly do you want from me?" Jamie groaned, tossing a bag of flour into the cart while Marvis remained unfazed.
But honestly, how could he not say it? Just imagining this big guy in a cute apron, standing in the kitchen baking, was already too much to handle.
"I wanna see it."
"See what?"
"You. Baking."
"..."
Oh, hell.
Jamie knew Marvis probably didn't actually expect to get an invitation to watch, but still—his heart was practically rolling out a red carpet, screaming for him to just bring Marvis home already.
Could he, though? Like, was it normal for bed buddies to invite each other home?
But—he was a buddy, right?
"Then let's go."
"Huh?"
"Come watch me bake."
—
"Your skin is so nice—so fair and soft! And pinkish too. I'm so jealous."
"Your skin is beautiful too, Ma'am."
"Such a sweet talker, this one! Jamie, come help cut the strawberries. I'll get the cream ready, and then you two can finish up together. I'm done here—I'm going to watch my drama."
"Mom—"
"Take your time, Marvis dear."
"Uh—okay."
Marvis watched as Jamie's mom gave him a knowing wink before leaving the kitchen. Oh, come on. Don't tell me she's actually trying to set up a romantic moment here.
Who even raised this woman?
His eyes drifted back to Jamie, who was focused on cutting the strawberries like he was competing on MasterChef. He was surprisingly skilled—way too good with a knife. Jesus, don't be good at cooking too, okay? I'm already losing my mind.
"Are you staring at me?"
"I'm not staring. I'm looking at you directly."
"..."
"My leg's itchy. Scratch it for me."
"Marvis. I beg you."
"Hurry up, I'm cutting at the perfect rhythm here."
Jamie sighed, and that's when it hit him—Marvis was wearing shorts. Really short shorts. Like, they were practically pajama shorts for little girls.
His mom had been over the moon about it earlier, saying Marvis dressed appropriately for the hot weather.
Jamie was so doomed.
But wait—why were you sitting there freezing in a coffee shop? You're unbelievable.
"Whatever."
"Look, a mosquito bit you. Wearing shorts was a bad idea. No one else in this house ever gets bitten, but you do."
"It's so itchy!"
I liked how he whined about it, so I pretended to scratch somewhere else
instead. Damn mosquito bit him almost all the way up his thigh—what an evil little thing. I looked at his pale legs and couldn't help but have…thoughts.
I was weak. So weak for pale skin.
Goddamn, pale skin!
"Your legs seriously look like a girl's."
"And? Is that a good thing?"
"Don't ask in that tone. I'm easy to rile up."
"I doubt you could do anything. Your mom's right outside."
"You little—! It's not like I was planning to do anything right here!"
"Then where?"
"Stop questioning me so much. You're making my heart race."
Marvis laughed, obviously messing with me. And the more he saw me flustered, the worse he got. It was so fun for him to tease me, apparently. Normally, I was the one who messed with people, but with him? Yeah, I
was totally letting myself get bullied.
"Jamie, have you ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?"
"Whoa—random question. But no, never. I've talked to people before, but it never went anywhere."
"I can kinda see that."
"What about you?"
"Not that I'm against it or anything, but I just don't think it's necessary right now."
"Have you ever really liked someone?"
Jamie asked while cutting the dough. Marvis glanced at him, studying his face. He wasn't insanely handsome or anything, but he was the kind of person you never got tired of
looking at.
"Not really."
"Love is complicated. Sometimes, even when you feel something, you can't tell what it is. Or actually, it's not sometimes—it's all the time. So I just let it be."
"If you really liked someone, you wouldn't just let them go, though."
"Right?"
"Yeah, but it's complicated… With some people, even if you like them a lot, you still have to let them go. Love is so personal—it's different for everyone."
Marvis sighed, sounding frustrated. He had spent way too much time comforting heartbroken female friends and drinking with male friends who got dumped.
Some people stop loving and let go. Some let go even though they still love.
It was all a mess.
Why did people make things so complicated?
"So complicated it gives me a headache."
"Exactly. Let's just put love on hold for now. Anyway, I need to put the dough in the fridge before we fry it. Let's go find something fun to do in the meantime."
Jamie touched Marvis's waist lightly as he finished preparing the strawberries. Marvis nodded. He liked this house—it looked big enough to feel lonely, but somehow, every corner had something interesting to explore.
"Let's start with the backyard—it's the closest door."
"Did you plant all this yourself?"
The homeowner nodded, watching Marvis light up like a kid. He was reacting like he had never seen fresh vegetables before.
"When my mom got older, she got really into organic farming. She wanted to make sure everything was safe, so she started growing her own stuff. Whenever I have free time, she makes me weed the garden and tend to the plants. We have a gardener, but she won't let him do it—she wants her son
to."
"Everything here is so cute," Marvis said with a smile, looking at the neatly arranged garden beds, each marked with little signs identifying the different vegetables growing there.
"So what do you usually do at home?"
"Sleep."
"Sigh."
"My family likes to sleep. Sometimes we go to the beach."
"That's pretty cute too, honestly." Jamie ruffled the smaller guy's hair like he was petting a puppy or a kitten before dragging him over to check out the fish pond. His dad had set it up before anyone else in the family even thought about it—raising koi fish so seriously that he even installed a backup generator, just in case the filtration system stopped working during a power outage.
See? The whole family was intense about their own things.
But they all did their own thing separately.
LOL.
"They're hugeeeeee!"
I've said it before—Marvis might look mature, with a calm, cool demeanor and high sex appeal, but the way he acts and talks? Absolute kindergarten energy.
Especially when he exaggerated words like hugeee, it just made him even cuter. T_T
"I think they could swallow us whole."
"Wanna test it?"
"Heeeyyy!"
The taller one grabbed his waist, pretending to push him toward the pond. Marvis shrieked, panicking, and in that split second, he latched onto Jamie's neck, holding on for dear life.
"Haha, you should've seen your face."
"Funny, huh?"
The teasing bastard just laughed and whispered that he wouldn't do it again,
letting Marvis wander off to admire the scenery. To be honest, people might find it weird how quickly they got comfortable with each other. But Jamie had always been the social type—he had a ridiculous number of friends.
This wasn't even that fast for him. He had once picked up a random drunk guy from a bar, and the next thing you know, they were best friends.
Yeah, full-on extrovert mode. No denying it. He thrived in chaos.
"This place is like a Hall of Fame."
"Exactly."
"Is this your mom when she was young? In Miami?"
"Yeah."
"She looks amazing. Vintage Chanel swimsuit, too."
"Fashion runs in the family, obviously."
"Even her headband is pretty."
"Mhm."
Jamie watched Marvis intensely study the family photos, way too focused for someone who was just browsing. They had chatted a little about school and work while shopping earlier. Ever since they agreed to be bed buddies, nothing much had actually happened besides texting.
But running into each other randomly like this? It was happening so often now it was starting to feel suspicious.
"You look exactly the same as when you were a kid."
"Right? Like some foreigner's kid. I had naturally light hair since birth, even though both my parents are Thai. Maybe it was just really, really light brown. When I got older, I dyed it darker because, you know, school rules."
"But this is your real hair color now, right?" Marvis wasn't just asking—he reached out and touched Jamie's hair.
"Yep. Naturally this light brown."
"You're basically a golden retriever."
"See? You do think I'm a dog."
"A really cute one."
"Say that again, and I might start overthinking things." Marvis turned to
meet Jamie's eyes, catching him smiling at an old picture of himself eating watermelon next to a giant chimpanzee. The caption underneath read: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
"Overthinking what?"
"Thinking that… maybe you like me."
Jamie pressed his lips together, staring down at his own feet. It wasn't that he was unsure or anything, but…
Ah.
His heart was pounding like crazy.
"Well… yeah."
And then, there it was—a warm hand gently cupping his cheek, guiding his gaze upward. Their eyes met, sincere and unwavering, accompanied by a soft, sweet smile.
"I like you, Jamie."