Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 28
So Fucking Formal!

Tuesday 24 June 2003

"Good morning, Aaron, it's time! Wake up!"

Who the fuck is trying to wake me up with this shouting and loud knocking? Who is stupid enough to pull me out of a dreamless sleep when I feel so comfortable on this thick mattress, surrounded by the delicious flowery smell of a softener?

I don't think that any odd voice would have been able to snatch me out of my slumber, but this deep and authoritarian tone is a different story, and just thinking about the powerful body that goes with it makes me startle in bed.

"Aaron! Don't make me repeat it a third time!"

"Yes, yes, I'm coming..." I grumble with a sleepy voice, rubbing the tiredness off my face with my hands.

"Be downstairs in twenty minutes," Mr. Vargas – I mean, Ivan – orders from behind the door, and I childishly poke my tongue at him, glad he can't see it. He certainly wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

A quick peek at the alarm clock on the nightstand... 7:30 am! Fuck! It's early! Why did he have to wake me up so early? With a grunt, I get up from the bed and head out to the bathroom for my morning routine and a warm shower. I must admit that using a real bathroom is a luxury I haven't enjoyed in a while now and I could definitely get used to this again.

This brings me back to yesterday evening and Ivan's offer.

During our dinner in the huge living room, we had another long conversation – only about me, sadly – as he came back on certain aspects of my childhood and adolescence, my flee, and then the first six months I spent in Los Angeles. When I thought it would be my turn to ask questions, he argued that he needed to work on something urgent and he left me to watch television while he settled in his office.

He left the door open, though, which allowed me to discreetly ogle the man from the couch. He was so focused on whatever he had to do that he didn't even notice, thank goodness! I still haven't asked about his age, but I guess he must be in his early thirties and to be honest, he looks damn good for such an old guy! I might even qualify him as gorgeous with his dark silky hair, thick but neat eyebrows, kissable plump lips and a sexy trimmed beard. I swear I had to mentally facepalm quite a few times for gawking like I did.

Unfortunately, my next attempt for a conversation once he was done a couple of hours later wasn't any more successful since he called it a night and sent me to my room. For fuck's sake, it was barely half past ten! I did try to negotiate to stay up, especially as I was missing something, and when I asked for my backpack, it didn't end very well.

"It's way too early," I complained.

"It's not. Now go get some sleep."

"But I already slept all day!"

"Not my problem. And it'll be yours as well if you don't get up tomorrow morning when I wake you up."

"Don't worry, I'll get up without a problem. But if you're tired and want to go to bed, go ahead," I insisted, having a half-mind to make fun of his older age. "I'll stay here a bit longer to watch TV, I promise I won't run away."

"You're going to bed, Aaron," he replied firmly and humorlessly.

"Can I have my backpack at least?" I sighed, understanding there was no arguing with him.

"What for?" he asked dubiously, and I'm sure he already knew the answer.

"I'd like... I need... I would really like..."

"A joint?" he asked with a mix of sarcasm and anger, arching both his eyebrows, and my reddening face was his answer. "No way, go to bed!"

"Please! I really need it..."

"Go to bed!" he growled, almost impressing me.

"I haven't had any today! Please, just one!!" I begged.

"FUCKING GO TO BED!!"

I took a step back, as if his words had had the power to blow me away, but it was only to gather myself back together and pull up some strength. I wasn't going to let go so easily. And I let him know.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet!" I argued, raising a threatening finger that didn't seem to impress him at all. "Now give me my stuff or I'm leaving right away!" I shouted, and he only cocked his head to the side.

"The door's over there, wide open," he replied very quietly, extending his left arm to the side.

Hadn't the man been so mysterious and hadn't he aroused my curiosity, I might have left. However, I needed to know more, I wanted to see what he had to offer, and I thought it would be better to enjoy his hospitality while my body still ached so badly. I hadn't had a smoke since the last one at the park, though, and as much as all the talking and the nap had kept my mind busy all this time, I was in dire need for a fix.

"Please... Sir," I insisted, short of air and trying to control the shaking of my hands.

"Stay here," he sighed after a brief shadow cast his eyes.

I watched him disappear into his office and when he returned, he slid the window open and motioned for me to follow him outside on the terrace.

"There you go," he grunted, handing me a plain cigarette and my lighter. "Don't you dare," he then warned me as I was about to protest and ask for cannabis resin. "That's all you're getting."

"Can't I have my..."

"No, you can't, and you'd better hurry up!"

Needless to say, I barely enjoyed my cigarette since he stayed around, glowering at me and clenching his fists each time I drew a puff. Later, he led me back to the bathroom upstairs, showed me the cupboards with all the necessary toiletries and commanded me to shower and brush my teeth – as if I didn't know what I had to do.

The shower helped to relax, but I still spent quite a few hours lying in bed and thinking about Mr. Vargas' offer. Of course, I was missing details, but he clearly intrigued me. Mysterious... Mr. Vargas is a mysterious man, a charming one at that. Even if I put his good looks aside, I must admit that the man still fascinates me.

Now I am determined to find out more and I only hope that he's in a better mood than yesternight.

With slow movements, I walk out of the shower and wipe myself dry with one of the fluffy towels. As I look in the mirror above the sink, I'm glad to see that my eye is no longer swollen, even if the bruise is still here. I use the disinfectant Mr. Vargas left for me to clean the few scratches, then give the rest of my body a once-over. There are still marks in various places, but these will fade away, and thanks to the painkillers, the aching is rather tamed.

Since I have no other clothes to wear, I put the sweatpants and tee-shirt back on, and head out into the corridor. I can hear low voices coming from downstairs, but as much as I try to remain silent in the large staircase, I can't decipher any word until I reach the dining room. Mr. Vargas is sitting at the end of the table, and his chauffeur is sitting on his right side, drinking coffee while my host is having tea. Another mug is resting on his left side next to a green folder.

Both men are still whispering, making me feel nervous. That Anton guy is certainly not one you would like to mess up with, even if his face holds something reassuring.

The same petite woman I briefly saw yesterday morning suddenly surges from the open kitchen, carrying a tray of breakfast food.

"Good morning, Sir," she says in a Spanish accent, smiling warmly at me.

"You're five minutes late," Mr. Vargas grumbles, peeking at his watch.

So much for the good mood...

"Good morning to you as well," I chant sarcastically.

Should I laugh at the old woman's gasp and the other man's smug expression as he tries to stifle a chuckle? Or should I apologize and cower away from the tall man who instantly rises to his feet and turns to me, anger flaming up in his eyes? I had already guessed that Mr. Vargas doesn't deal well with insolence, so I can only imagine it's worse in the presence of other people.

Nonetheless, if I eventually accept his offer and decide to stay here, there is no way I'm going to fear him, so I don't look down while he glowers at me and until he caves in and turns toward the old woman.

"Anita, this is Aaron, and Aaron," he then addresses me, "this is Anita, my housekeeper. Anita takes care of the cleaning, the laundry. She also occasionally cooks and does grocery shopping too."

"Hi, Anita, nice to meet you," I say warmly, and she nods with a smile before she shyly heads upstairs.

"You've already met Anton Anderson, so no need for further introductions for now," Mr. Vargas says as he returns to his chair. "Take a seat and have breakfast," he then adds, pointing at the chair on his left.

Orders, always orders. Jeez! Is he a dictator or what?

"When are we going to talk?" I ask, interrupting him as he is resuming his conversation with his chauffeur.

While Mr. Anderson coughs, discreetly containing another chuckle, the boss turns to me with his usual scowl.

"We'll talk when I'm done with Anton," he answers dryly. "For now, eat your breakfast."

"What's this?" I ask, ignoring his command and opening the folder beside me.

Since said folder bears my name, I guess I should be allowed to have a look, but Mr. Vargas snatches it from my hands and tosses it further away on the long table. At the same moment, someone crushes my left foot and when I look up at Anton who's sitting across from me, his expression says something like Don't push it too far.

"Just. Fucking. Eat."

Another glaring contest might have started, but this time, I'm first to avert my eyes because Mr. Vargas' are far too intense right now. Maybe it's time to behave a bit better? Almost... Just almost. Sighing heavily, I take a sip of my tea which tastes far better than the piss-like brew we had at hospital, then put a couple of pancakes and a toast on my plate and also grab a strawberry yogurt from the tray. I can't help eying the folder that is out of my reach now, wondering about its exact contents. I bet it's the set of rules Mr. Vargas mentioned yesterday.

Lost in my thoughts, I manage to tune them out while I eat, at least until my stomach feels sated after a glass of fresh orange juice to swallow my medication. Damn! It was good!

"Okay, sounds like a busy week then," Anton says at some point, checking what looks like an agenda.

"Same for the upcoming weekend," Mr. Vargas replies thoughtfully, briefly peeking at me.

"I can cancel my plans, Ivan."

"Certainly not. You planned that weekend off a long time ago and I can perfectly manage on my own."

"Alright, fine. Are you sure you don't want to postpone Master Arnold's p..."

"Yes, I'm sure," Mr. Vargas cuts him with an annoyed click of his tongue while Anton coughs awkwardly. "It's an easy shot and your team will be here in any case. Anyway, you can settle in the library if you want to review these files while I deal with this young man. I have a training at 10, so we'll leave in about an hour."

"Where are we going?" I chip in, still trying to process what they were saying before because I feel that one word was out of place.

"You aren't going anywhere, Aaron," Mr. Vargas replies sternly. "I'm going to work."

"Can't I go with you? I'd love to see you work!" I insist eagerly.

"Certainly not," he retorts resolutely despite a vague glint of hesitation in his tone. "You'll have things to do this afternoon."

"What things!?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. If you're done eating, let's go to the living room," he says as he stands up.

Once he has grabbed the folder and gone to settle on the couch, Anton throws me a wink and disappears into the room on the left of living room, shutting the door.

"Aaron! I'm waiting!"

Rolling my eyes, I join Mr. Vargas and like yesterday, I take a seat across from him and beside the green folder he dropped, patiently listening while he repeats what he already told me about his offer.

"I'd like you to read this," he says, nodding at the folder, "but before you do, I need to explain a few things. If you hadn't guessed before, I'm a very controlling person and I like things to be extremely clear between myself and whoever I interact with. That document might sound... a bit elaborated to a teenager like you, but that's how I envisage things. Always."

No shit, Sherlock? His controlling personality is no breaking news, I had gathered that much and maybe more, even if I might have used different words. Authority is perhaps his second name. Well, I have never dealt very well with authority, much less since I broke free from my father, so I wonder if it's going to work between us.

"I have principles, Aaron. As much as I'm ready to compromise on certain things, there are others I'll be firm on. Communication and respect are key concepts for a relationship to work; I'll speak with you as openly as possible, but that will have to be in utter respect. I'll be strict but never in an abusive way and only as long as you play the game. I truly aim at helping you, but you'll have to abide by my rules and respect them, or it won't work. Do you understand this?"

"I'm not dumb, so yeah, I get it..."

"I don't deal well with insolence either," he interrupts me abruptly. "You'll have to learn respect."

"Okay, okay, sorry... And what if I break one of your dear rules?" I ask, emphasizing on the last word with finger quotations.

I'm playing flippancy, but in truth, I am seriously concerned. I've never been covetous – at least, I don't think so – but what if I get used to the comfort he offers and he suddenly decides to kick me out? Going back to live on the streets might turn into a painful fall.

"I told you. You'll be disciplined."

That word again...

It's certainly not that word that makes my body react in an unpredictable way. No, it can only be his husky voice that sends a shiver down my spine and makes goosebumps rise on my arms. It has to be his brazen stare that wires a jolt of electricity straight to my groin, causing my cock to twitch to life in my sweatpants.

"Dis... disciplined, you said?" I stammer as I shift into a more comfortable position. "As in... I mean... What do you mean by discipline exactly?"

"I mean you'll be punished," he replies in all seriousness, leaning forward to rest his elbows over his knees. "Don't fear and let me try to explain. My goal is to set you on a good path and to lead you toward a better life, Aaron, because I'm convinced that a brilliant future awaits you. To achieve my goal, I'll need to have full control on you. I'll need you to surrender to me. I'll need you to trust me. My intention's not to turn you into a puppet, and yet, these rules I've set up are a bit like strings that will help you to remain on the right path. Discipline is just an aspect of the game. That's precisely what will make you learn your lessons whenever you infringe, it'll teach you to not repeat your mistakes."

"But I'm not a kid!"

"I never said you were, but you'll learn that discipline is a broad concept that extends to kids, teenagers and even adults. To give you an example... Haven't you ever heard about adults messing in their jobs and getting sanctions?"

"Yes, maybe, but..."

"It's just the same principle, Aaron. It's a part of the deal that you have to accept because you'll fuck up at some point. And when you do, we'll talk, you'll be lectured and I'll decide on appropriate sanctions. Punishments are what helps Su... offenders to learn their lessons. While they endure their sanction and are deprived of pleasant privileges, wrongdoers have plenty of time to ponder on their mistakes, analyze their behavior and find proper motivation to avoid doing the same mistake."

"That still sounds... harsh."

"I can imagine, but that's a condition I won't compromise on. It's far too important in my... values. However, it's a pact we're making, it has to remain consensual, and like I said, you'll be free to leave if you disagree with my offer. I still believe you should give it a try. I'm sure you'll get used to the strictness in a way and that you'll end up understanding that discipline can be constructive."

"I get what you mean and yeah, maybe I see your point, but I'm still curious about what you call sanctions."

"You'll find details in this document, but basically, there are many ways to punish people, and in your case, it could be grounding, revocation of certain privileges like TV, games and just anything you like in general. It could also be more work or corner time or..."

"Corner time? Are you serious?" I exclaim as I imagine myself standing in a corner of this room because I would have talked back to him.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" he replies casually, as if we were having a normal conversation. "It's actually a good one because it allows the offender to reflect on his mistake."

"Holy crap... Next thing I know, you're going to spank me," I snort with a bitter chuckle.

"That's another option."

The seriousness of his tone leaves me speechless again and I find myself blinking in bewilderment at the severity of his expression. This guy's a joke. He has to.

That obviously throws me back to my father's old ways, making me somewhat uncomfortable, but as Mr. Vargas reclines in the couch, spreading his arms on both sides of the backrest, the way his broad chest strengthens the fabric of his tee-shirt – also revealing very nice biceps – gives rises to weird emotions within me. I can't say what they are exactly; they aren't unpleasant; just weird.

"Read the agreement, Aaron. I can only imagine how confusing it must sound to you right now, but before you judge, please give this offer a chance."

Confusing doesn't even begin to cover it, so I feel a bit like a robot as I pick the folder and open it, discovering a single sheet of paper inside. I'm not familiar with contracts or anything related to legal matters in general, but the document does look serious. Actually, it even looks formal at first sight!

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

This document is an agreement between Mr. Ivan Vargas and Mr. Aaron Cox. As much as it is not legally binding and either party might terminate it at any time, it aims at defining how Mr. Vargas intends to provide for Aaron in order to lead him to a healthy and stable life, as well as what he expects from Aaron as a counterpart.

In his role as an Educator willing to offer a bright future to Aaron, Mr. Vargas will set goals and commits to the following aspects:

In terms of communication, Mr. Vargas will always strive to openly listen to and to take into account Aaron's concerns and worries as long as they are addressed respectfully.

In terms of safety, Mr. Vargas will make sure that Aaron lives and progresses in a safe environment, and in this respect, shall Aaron make new friends, Mr. Vargas will have a say on Aaron's acquaintances to avoid wrong influences.

In terms of well-being, Mr. Vargas will provide Aaron with a private and modernly furbished bedroom, clothing and medical assistance. Mr. Vargas will also support Aaron to quit unhealthy habits.

In terms of education, Mr. Vargas will provide Aaron with options for higher education and pay for any cost of fees, supplies and teaching support.

In terms of discipline, Mr. Vargas will remain fair but strict for Aaron to understand his mistakes and to learn from them in order to not repeat them.

➿➿➿

Shall Aaron accept to surrender to Mr. Vargas' guidance, he will commit to the following aspects and rules:

In terms of communication, more than a right, it will be a duty for Aaron to voice his feelings, fears, thoughts and desires, as long as he expresses them respectfully. Communication and honesty are crucial for an efficient performance of the relationship. Therefore, if he ever finds himself in a situation that he can't handle or for which he needs Mr. Vargas' support, Aaron shall always reach out to Mr. Vargas, day or night. Lies, even by omission, won't be tolerated.

In terms of respect, Aaron shall always remain polite when he speaks with Mr. Vargas, his personnel or his friends. Sulking, insolence, defiance and talking back are obviously forbidden.

In terms of safety, Aaron shall strive to follow Mr. Vargas' guidelines and advice. In this respect, he shall always keep Mr. Vargas informed of his whereabouts and answer his phone calls so that he doesn't worry. Aaron shall never put himself in danger.

In terms of well-being, Aaron shall: 1) Keep his bedroom – and generally the rest of the house – in decent order, 2) Inform Mr. Vargas of any health issue, 3) Pay attention to his hygiene (showering, teeth brushing, etc), 4) Use the gym or run one hour each day when it's possible, 5) Have three healthy meals each day, 6) Sleep at least 7 hours each night. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco are strictly forbidden.

In terms of education, Aaron shall study the best he can once he has decided on a career path in order to graduate.

In terms of goals, Aaron shall trust Mr. Vargas to fix achievable goals and shall seek Mr. Vargas' help if he needs support to carry them out. Said goals include:

1) Withdraw from all forms of addiction such as tobacco and drugs. In this respect, Mr. Vargas will provide alternatives and support.

2) Take driving lessons in order to obtain a Californian driver's license.

3) Return to school in 12th grade in September, which shall give Aaron a full year to make a decision on a career path. Meanwhile, Mr. Vargas shall hire a private teacher for Aaron to catch up and get into the swing of things.

In terms of discipline, Aaron is expected to follow each of the rules set above and to comply with Mr. Vargas' orders without hesitation. Shall Aaron fail or breach, he will be consequently disciplined as follows: he will be lectured by Mr. Vargas, given some alone-time to ponder on his mistakes, and accept his sanction.

Sanctions may be restrictive (TV, games, phone, going out, using the swimming pool). They may involve a certain amount of humiliation (corner time, spanking). They may be educational (selected reads, additional homework). They may be moral (deprivation of support / affection, ignoring).

Shall Aaron find himself in a condition that he deems too intense, he may use a way-out word that he will have to define. Said word would instantly interrupt whatever the situation and yield a calm conversation in order to fix the problem.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

"Anything that shocks you, Aaron?"

Mr. Vargas has moved to sit beside me, the sudden closeness of his voice making me startle, but his warm hand reaching for my forearm quietens me right away. I must have been on my third or fourth read of the agreement, still as bewildered as the first time my eyes skimmed through the words.

To be honest, I am torn between gratefulness, fear and laughter.

Mr. Vargas had already mentioned a few details of his offer, so it shouldn't come as a surprise, but seeing it here in black and white gives an even wider amplitude to his generosity. He'd basically welcome me in his home and finance my education. That's huge! Who does that much for a guy they don't even know?

Then, some parts of this agreement – or whatever that document is supposed to be – scares me a bit. All this strictness, all these rules, that's a lot to take in. As much as certain things like hygiene or health sound logical to me – like, even as a homeless, I have always tried my best to stay clean – but I'd gladly give up on others like tidiness or the controlling conditions.

And yet, the more I think about it, the harder it gets to contain tremors of laughter threatening to burst out. It's so fucking formal! The simple fact that the man took the time to lay down this arrangement sounds so absurd! Fuck! Is this a game or what? Perhaps we're going to play some sort of Monopoly... If you say fuck, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Or even better... If you say fuck, go directly to lay over my lap, present your ass for your spanking, go to bed early.

Spanking... seriously?

Shit! I need a smoke...

"What's so funny?" Mr. Vargas insists, and I realize that I have been chuckling at my silly thoughts.

"It's not really funny, it's just... That sounds like a game, like roleplaying..." I reply as I try to gather my spirits.

"There's a bit of that indeed, but please tell me if there's anything that shocks you."

"No, nothing that truly shocks me, but it's a lot to take in."

"You don't have to give me an answer right away, Aaron. I'll soon have to go and you'll have the entire day to think about it anyway. We'll take the time to discuss all the aspects of this agreement, but meanwhile, I'd like to know if there's anything that deeply bothers you."

"The offer is very appealing, but the rigidity..." I trail off with a grimace.

"It's part of the game, Aaron," Mr. Vargas replies with a certain warmth in his voice. "Somehow, I'm sure it must remind you of your childhood since you said your parents were so strict, but the difference here is that you have a choice. I wouldn't force you to stay and actually, I won't accept to take care of you if you don't willingly agree to the conditions. Even if we yet have to discuss details, you can already see the ins and outs, and it's those that you need to ponder on. Yes, there are plenty of rules, there's rigidity, but in counterpart, I'm offering you the bright future you deserve."

Put this way, it does sound less absurd indeed, but it still makes me shudder for the good reason that I don't believe myself to be the passive and obedient kind of guy, so I wonder if it would really work.

"All these rules, I guess they're firm and final?"

"Most of them are, but if you've paid attention to my first commitment, you've seen that I'm open to communication as long as you speak with respect. There are things I might compromise on, though, if you provide me with pertinent arguments. And the most important, Aaron," he says, gently grabbing my forearm again, "it's this last paragraph."

"Oh, what's that way-out word by the way?"

"It's a bit like an emergency exit. If at any point you feel like... you just can't deal with a situation, if something in my behavior becomes too intense, you can use that word and I'll immediately put the situation on hold. That won't put an end to the agreement, but it'll generate a half-time that will allow us to talk about what went wrong, and we'll find a solution."

"Okay, I see, so it's like an emergency stop button?"

"Exactly. So, you see? Even if you accept the deal, you'll always have a way out. Is there anything else you want to discuss now?"

"No," I reply firmly, slipping the page back within its folder, discarding it on the couch before I rise to my feet and start pacing the room. "I... I need to think about all this on my own."

Mr. Vargas soon joins me there and makes me face him as he rests his hands on my shoulders.

"Don't overthink this too much, Aaron," he says in his deep voice. "It's a slow process, allow your mind to consider everything, but think about what your life could be here, and more importantly, think about your future."

"Ivan?" Anton says as he suddenly steps out of the library.

"Yeah, it's time, I know. Hold on a second, though, remember there's something we need to broach with Aaron," he replies before he turns back to me. "I'll have to leave soon, I've an appointment I can't miss, but before I go, there's one last thing I need you to tell us about," he then says as Anton nears us. "I'm too short on time to give you details now, but on Sunday, we had a hard time cooling things down with the guys who beat you down, so Anton and I need to know what we got ourselves into. Can you please explain what happened exactly?"

Of course, I hadn't forgotten about what happened on Sunday – I myself have quite a few questions for him too! – but the sudden flashback is like a slap in my face. First, there's Jaden's death that has my heart constrict in my chest, and then, there's the realization that I escaped a truly tricky situation, not only in the alley where my friend was killed, but also when I was caught into the fight with the gang. I could have died twice that day.

"Aaron," Anton says in a deep baritone voice. "I believe proper introductions are necessary. My name's Anton Anderson and among other... duties or roles, I'm the security manager for all of Ivan's establishments. These thugs you fought with on Sunday, I don't know them personally, but from what one of my security guys told me, they're a dangerous gang, so I want to erase any risk for your safety, Ivan's or the club in front of which you were mobbed at."

Since I blacked out before I saw Ivan and his friend interfere, I don't know how they dealt with Miguel and the gang, but I wouldn't want them to undergo reprisals. No way.

"Okay, I'll tell you," I sigh as we all settle on the couch. "Long story short?" I ask as I pull my knees to my chest.

"Please," Ivan encourages me as he peeks at his watch.

"On Sunday morning, Jaden, the friend I told you about, went to buy drugs from Miguel, our usual supplier. Just after the transaction, the cops showed up, but Jaden hid behind a trash container and saw Miguel drop his stock into another trash. After the cops took Miguel, Jaden got the drugs and returned to our squat. When one of our mates who knows Miguel heard about the story, he said that it was pure madness, that the gang leader would want Jaden dead, and he kicked him out right away. I just couldn't leave Jaden leave alone, so I followed him. We were in an industrial estate area, and... I just went to relieve myself in an alley, and that's when Jaden was... killed, and I was a coward... I didn't even try to go and save him," I explain, my voice inevitably breaking a bit.

"Take your time, Aaron, it's fine," Mr. Vargas encourages me, but I know he's in a hurry too.

"It's okay. I... I fled through another street, because I knew they wouldn't give him a chance anyway... I just crisscrossed the area until I found myself near Chinatown, I believe... I stayed at a park for the rest of the day until... I decided I needed to move on, and well, you know the rest. I came across Miguel and his friends later that evening, I guess the police had released him for lack of evidence..."

"Alright, so I guess that's the bag of drugs I found in your bag?" Mr. Vargas asks.

"I didn't know Jaden had slipped it inside my bag..."

"Not very fair of him, if you ask me," he retorts with despise before he turns to Anton. "So that's more or less what we thought."

Even if water has been pooling in my eyes while recounting the events, I have been able to hold the tears back so far. Hidden between my chest and my legs, my hands have clutched around my forearms, and as my heart sinks into my chest at the memory of my late friend, my nails dig into my skin, discreetly scratching to the point that it ends up making me wince.

"Stop it, Aaron," Mr. Vargas suddenly growls.

There's a bit of anger in his voice, anger mixed with worry that makes me peek up at him. The same concern shows in his eyes as he shifts closer to me to unclasp my fingers from my arms.

"It wasn't your fault and running away from that alley was probably the best decision you ever made in the last few months. To begin with, you friend wasn't really fair to you putting the drugs in your bag, and if you'd gone to rescue him, these guys would have killed you right away. It happened, Aaron, and that's sad for that Jaden-guy, but you see where all this shit led you. Now you have a way out of this, just make the right decision," Mr. Vargas reasons in a firm tone before he turns back to his friend. "Anton?"

"Yup, all clear for me. I know how I'll deal with this. I'll have two guys watching your house until the problem's solved, just in case."

"What are you going to do?" I ask warily.

"That's Anton's business, Aaron, just don't worry about anything," Mr. Vargas interferes as he rises to his feet. "Time to leave now, we'll talk more tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Why not tonight?"

"Because you'll be asleep when I return."

"You'll work that late?"

"I usually don't on Tuesdays, but tonight, I have to," he replies almost with regret. "I'll tell you more about my schedule tomorrow. In any case, don't wait me up tonight and get to sleep early enough. Today, I want you to think about the offer and to get some rest. Just make yourself at home. Anita's here only this morning and she must be done with your laundry, so you'll have fresh clothes in your bedroom. They'll do until I get you more. Also, there's my cell phone number on the kitchen counter, just call me if you need anything. And make sure you eat properly too. Is it all clear?"

"Yeah..."

"I don't think I heard that well."

"Yes... Mr. Vargas..."

"Better. And please, call me Ivan," he chuckles with a gentle squeeze on my shoulder before he heads away with Anton. "See you tomorrow, Aaron!"

"Wait!" I call out as they reach the entrance hall, getting up and rushing to the door.

As he turns around, frowning at me, I throw myself at him and wrap my arms around his sides, suddenly in desperate need of a hug in which I try to convey my gratefulness.

"Thank you, Ivan... thank you so much," I whisper with sincerity and relishing in the comfort of his arms as he hugs me closer to his chest, yet without crushing my bruised body.

"You're welcome, Menino."

Published on 20 November 2019

There you go with another chapter, hope you enjoyed :)

It was kind of fun to work from a BDSM contract and adapt it to a teenager who's not in the lifestyle, which is why it's quite simple and straight to the point. Ivan just couldn't pull out a real contract or use the habitual words, right? You've also gotten to see a bit more of Anton, who, like I said, is a rather important character, just like Marcus (Ivan's other best friend) that you'll meet in a couple chapters (though you sort of met him in a one-shot earlier).

Anyway, I guess you're all still waiting to get to know Ivan better? Well, be patient, it'll start in the next chapter as Aaron will go through further withdrawal signs.