Soul Mate Service (boyxboy)

Chapter 22

THIRD PERSON POV

Biting down on a sheepish smile, Aria peered down into the depths of his lunch container, immediately spying the vastly oversimplified yet incredibly meaningful contents that it held.

"Ooh, he went all out today! A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and three whole apple slices?! It's official; somebody messed up, he should have been assigned to the Nutritional Work Unit instead." Andrea spewed sarcastically, plopping back down in her chair once she concluded her most recent trend of 'lean-over-the-table-and-stick-nose-into-Aria's-lunchbox'. A giggle slipped past Aria's plush lips and he finally caved to bouts of intoxicating excitement, grinning brightly across the table at his friend.

Andrea was right, the lunch was extraordinarily rudimentary and resembled something closer to what his Instructional Unit students brought to class every day rather than a meal for a full-grown adult. But Aria couldn't help the light and airy feeling that thrummed through his chest at the knowledge of who had made it for him.

The recent, exceedingly sudden shift in his Soul Mate's behavior should have unnerved Aria, and it would have... If Aria wasn't the one who had practically asked for it himself.

"Aria... Can I kiss you?" Thad asked, the question seemingly pulled straight out of the thin air that separated the two males.

Aria sat frozen, bleeding fingernail long forgotten even though his hand still rested in the gentle clutches of a man that clearly had a few screws knocked loose. The smaller man's lips parted, closed, and then opened again as his mind whirred, skipping like a scratched disc through all of the possible ways he could answer that question.

This was the scenario that Aria had always dreamed of when he thought of his future Soul Mate; he would be a loving and doting man who respected and desired him above all else. A man who asked, who didn't push too far and respected Aria's boundaries as they got to know one another and fell in love in some sort of beautifully natural way.

This was what he had always hoped for.

There was only one answer that he could possibly give.

"No."

Thaddeus' face fell in an instant, a sudden, gloomy darkness flooding into his sharp features, and the bridge of Aria's nose scrunched when the unwelcome scent of spoiled meat obscured the natural, earthy scent that the larger man usually emanated from every pore. That disgusting smell shot Aria's nervous system directly into high alert, some autonomous part of his brain telling him that he should retract his statement immediately, apologize, and shove that scent of despair right back where it came from.

But Aria contained himself, squaring his shoulders and stabilizing the soles of his feet, pressing them into the chilly concrete floor below.

"... W- what?" Thad stuttered, voice whisper-thin and incredulous, as if he couldn't possibly believe the word that Aria had just uttered.

"I said no." The smaller man reiterated, confidence building with every additional word, "You may not kiss me."

Thaddeus blinked, a fish stranded miles from water as he tried very his best to figure out: "Why?"

"Thad..." The bubble of laughter that ascended out of Aria's throat held equal parts humor and disbelief. "Do you really think that I'm that easy? That I would just give myself up because you suddenly decided you wanted a touch and feel after bullying and taunting me for the past four months?" He shook his head gently, brown waves shifting atop his shoulders as his jaw hardened with effort. "I appreciate our... moments like this, I really do. But fleeting acts of kindness don't magically make up for everything you've done."