"it was dark at night, you were in his house uninvited you went into his room, he looked scared and defensive" “w-who are you?! Stay away from me…”

“"his breathing shudders out slowly, and his muscles begin to ease from the state of alertness they’d been in… face still curtain of defiance up but now less pointy." Fuck.” "even his breaths sound flustered with fear. He looks at Cesar through wide eyes, voice crackling out unsteadily and sweetly." “I… Yeah - I think so. Who… What are you doing here?”

“"Mark’s eyes dart around the room and then back to Cesar. The whites of his eyes seem extra large against his reddened skin." Yeah, I’m fine. Just startled. What time is it?”

“"Mark rubs his eyes with one hand, yawning slightly" Shit, just what I need… Anyway, thanks for checking on me Cesar. I’ll call it a night.” "He manages a weak smile and gently starts to push Cesar out the door before closing it firmly."

“"Mark blinks and then rubs his eyes again, feeling the weight of weariness hit him in one big wave." Alright…” "he sighs, but opens the door once more, inviting Cesar inside with a small gesture and walking over to his bed without looking at Cesar much." “Just make yourself comfortable on my couch, man. I’m going to get some sleep.”

“"Mark lies down in bed, eyes closed briefly as he tries to shut out all thoughts of that night’s terror… It takes him a moment to register the disappointment reflected on Cesar's expression and realize what it means. After his next big exhale, he turns, looking at him curiously." Um, do you want to talk about it?”

“"Mark sits up, looking at Cesar with raised eyebrows, searching for some clue or giveaway in his expression that he’d missed. Concern flickers across his face as he realizes something’s off." Is everything alright, Cesar?”

“Alright…” "Mark stares into Cesar’s eyes for a moment more, as if searching for the words that are hiding there. Eventually, he lays back down on his side and faces away from Cesar." “Goodnight, then.”

"Mark, already half asleep while listening to Cesar’s shuffling around on the couch, suddenly grunts in annoyance and rolls over onto his other side, willing himself to not care about how happy his friend was right now."

"Even though Mark knew he should be grateful for having someone who wanted to spend time with him, hearing Cesar's contentment--especially when mixed in with his own resentful thoughts--only made him feel more alone. However, he determinedly pushed those feelings away and instead focused on getting some much-needed rest."

"Mark is able to relax a bit knowing that Cesar had gotten comfortable and fallen asleep. But despite the warmth of his blankets and the comfort of his bed, the fear of what might be watching outside his window sneaks in and settles in his chest again--he presses his face into his pillow and clenches his fists until finally he manages to drift off to sleep, haunted by dreams he wished he could forget."

"Mark jolts awake, his cheeks feeling hot and flushed. He sits up, abruptly and clutches his head in his hands as he tries to push the vivid images of Cesar out of his head." “"he rubs his temples in discomfort, hoping for the pounding pain at the back of his skull to go away." What the hell...”

"Mark grits his teeth, groaning and squeezing his eyes tightly shut in an attempt to drive the images of Cesar out of his head." "Not happening." He finally grunts out loud, before throwing off his blankets and getting up to splash some water on his face. The coldness of the water helps wake him up a bit more and he thinks that maybe getting outside or distracting himself would make it better.

"Just then, Mark notices the time and realizes that the sun must have already risen. In a sudden fit of anxiety, he glances over at Cesar to make sure that he's still asleep and hadn't noticed anything. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that Cesar is still snoring softly on the couch."

"Mark glances at Cesar again, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he silently takes in the sight before him. He shakes his head slightly to rid himself of the thoughts that had unexpectedly arisen in his mind, and rubs his eyes--maybe he just needed more sleep."

"Mark swallows hard before finally crawling back into bed, trying his best to calm his errant thoughts and remind himself that it was just a dream. With Cesar still asleep on the couch and no other sounds besides the chirping of birds outside, Mark eventually falls back into a deep and peaceful slumber."

"Mark stretches and rubs his eyes again before looking towards the kitchen where he hears the sound of Cesar cooking. He gets up and walks over to him, curious about what he was making, but he stops at a distance as to not interrupt Cesar's cooking."

"Mark watches him for a moment, studying his movements with idle curiosity. He realizes that he hasn't felt this at ease in a long time, feeling comfortable with the silence between them as Cesar focused on making breakfast."

"Mark raises his eyebrows slightly at the sight of Cesar's injured finger, concern etched on his face now." "I think I do actually. Let me check." "He says before heading over to a nearby drawer and pulling out a small box. He rummages through it quickly before finding some band-aids and brings them over to Cesar." "Here."

"Mark watches silently as Cesar tends to his injury, admiring the gentle and careful way he treated himself. He's grateful for the opportunity to see him in a different light than before, and he finds himself hoping that their friendship would continue to grow and strengthen." "You're welcome." He finally speaks up after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mark snaps out of his trance and slowly walks over to the kitchen counter, watching Cesar continue to cook breakfast. He takes a deep breath and tries to clear his head again, knowing that he needed to focus on the present moment." "It smells good." "He finally observes aloud, hoping to start a conversation."

"Mark smiles softly at Cesar's gesture and nods, taking the spoon from him and taking a small taste of the cooking." "That's really good." He murmurs, impressed by Cesar's cooking skills.* "What is it?"

"Roast," "Mark repeats, his eyebrows raised in surprise." "You know how to cook a roast?" "He asks, genuinely curious and impressed by Cesar's culinary abilities."

"Mark watches Cesar with interest as he adds seasoning to the pot, a small smile on his face." "You definitely seem like a pro at this." "He can't help but tease, hoping to lighten the atmosphere." "Maybe you should consider opening up your own restaurant or something."

"I can understand that." "Mark nods in agreement, still smiling." "But maybe one day, you'll change your mind and decide to share your culinary skills with the world." "He pauses for a moment, looking over at Cesar before speaking again." "Either way, I'm grateful to be able to try your cooking."

"Mark nods and returns Cesar's smile, feeling a warm sense of contentment in his chest." "You're welcome." "He says softly before turning his attention to the breakfast that was almost ready to be served." "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Mark nods in response." "Yeah, let me grab it for you." "He walks over to the fridge and takes out the broth, examining it briefly before heading back over to Cesar with it." "How much do you need?"

"Mark nods and pours the broth into the pot, being careful to measure out about a fourth like Cesar had instructed." "Is that enough?" He asks as he stirs the pot gently.

"Mark nods, feeling relieved that he was able to assist Cesar with his recipe. He watches as Cesar continues to cook, fascinated by the way he moves so gracefully around the kitchen." "You're really skilled at this, you know." "He remarks, hoping to make Cesar feel good about his abilities."

"Mark smiles softly, feeling his cheeks heat up at the compliment." "I'm just stating the truth." "He says, shrugging slightly." "It's not every day that I get to try such delicious food."

"Mark chuckles and nods." "I definitely will." "He replies, feeling grateful for this unexpected meal with Cesar." "You know how to make a guy feel special."

"Mark chuckles softly, enjoying the moment of lightheartedness between them." "I'm just speaking the truth, Cesar." "He replies with a slight shrug." "But if it makes you uncomfortable, I'll try to tone down the compliments."

"Mark smiles in response, relief washing over him." "Alright then." "He says, his tone light and playful." "Just don't be surprised if I can't help but compliment you on everything you do." "He teases with a small wink."

"Mark watches as Cesar serves the roast into the bowls, appreciating the beautiful presentation." "This looks amazing." "He remarks, feeling his mouth water at the delicious aroma wafting from the food." "I can't wait to try it."

"Mark nods, taking in a deep breath to savor the aroma." "It smells incredible." "He says, his voice filled with anticipation." "I bet it's going to taste even better than it looks."

"Mark grins, feeling his cheeks heat up at the compliment." "I can't help it sometimes." "He admits before picking up his utensils, eager to try the roast." "Thank you for preparing this for us, Cesar." "He adds, sincerely grateful for the meal."

"Mark nods, excited at the prospect of doing something fun with Cesar. He starts to eat his food, savoring the flavors and texture of the roast. As he eats, he can't help but feel grateful for this moment of peace and happiness, feeling a sense of contentment settle within him." "This is amazing." "He says with a smile." "You're such a great cook."

"Mark notices Cesar's flushed face and wonders if he had said something wrong. He pauses his eating for a moment, looking at Cesar with concern." "Is everything okay?" "He asks softly, hoping that he hadn't unintentionally upset him."

"Mark smiles with relief, happy to hear that he hadn't upset Cesar." "That's great to hear." "He says before returning to his food, enjoying the rest of the meal in comfortable silence."