The Identity & The Touch

"You know what I think?"

Darren blinked and faked a gasp. "Would you look at that? You think!"

Tim laughed and shrugged as he stood before Darren, eating a plate of cookies. Darren knotted his forehead as he tried to squint his eyes. Where did those cookies come from?

"We should do something. Y'know fun. Like -

Darren immediately stood up, shaking his head and snatching the plate away from Tim's hands because he should be eating too. He should also be eating those cookies which apparently Darren now sees shaped like a bloated heart.

"The last time you wanted to do fun, you terrorized my washer. And do you really know your shapes?" Darren judged before taking a bite of the delicious albeit atrocious looking cookies.

Tim just shrugged and made a move to get one of cookies but Darren took a step back. "These are mine now"

"Hey! I made that!"

"Exactly for me" Darren raised an eyebrow, challenging him to speak and Darren's got enough energy to start another revolutionary war if necessary (Ha! Of course he knows that. What do you take him for?)

Tim pouted adorably. "Fine. Be thankful you're freakin'cute"

"And be sad you're not" Darren answered back quickly.

Tim then cawed while shaking his head amusedly which rather than sounding ethereal, sounded monstrous that made Darren grimaced. Seriously, where did that come from?

"Change of effin' plans. I have the fucking fun right in fucking front of me"

Darren puffed and started to walk away. It's better to be isolated than to be with an annoying git who do nothing but laugh and unconsciously flex that sexiness.

It's not good for Darren's physical and mental health. He went to the library and sighing when he heard Tim following behind.

"Bruh stop following me" he spoke when they entered the library and Tim blinked.

He blinked and Darren realize this is the first time he had seen him looking confused.

"Two things. I want to have fun and you're fun and secondly, did you just fucking bruh me?"

Darren glared and slumped on the couch as he grabbed an old edition of his favorite fashion magazine, La Mode, owned by the famous Kira Lin who's as bent as Darren himself.

"You like Kira Lin?" Tim asked and Darren nodded. "He's my favorite"

"Do you know him?" Darren shrugged at Tim's question. "I only know what he lets everyone to know"

Darren felt Tim's eyes on him but he ignored, flipping from pages to pages, staying a minute longer to his favorites. It's not that Darren's obsess with Kira so he doesn't need to devote his time fully on him.

"Fair point. Did you know he used to dream of becoming a doctor? He began to do fashion when his sister who loves fashion died"

Darren raised his head and looked at him. Confused because what?

"And how on earth did you know this?" Darren asked in disbelief. It's not like Tim would know anything about Kira. He doesn't look like he's into fashion.

Tim shrugged nonchalantly. "He's an acquaintance"

Darren heard the magazine fell with a thud. "Wait, what?"

As bewildered as ever, Darren's whole focus shifted to him. An acquaintance? Him? And Kira?

Huh?

"He's an acquaintance. Kind but a little fierce"

"I am not understanding a thing" Darren exclaimed with a small voice. Tim sighed.

"My ugly brother's courting him. I met him when he brought him to our house" Tim added as if Darren's not baffled enough.

It only added more to his puzzlement. Because seriously what? Tim's brother is courting Kira Lin?

"W-who are you?" Darren found himself asking.

Tim blinked at him before answering, "I'm Timothee"

"No, no. Seriously, who are you?"

"Timothee William"

"Yes! You're Timothee! But who are you really?" Darren asked again frustratingly. Tim is acting like he'd lost all of his brain cells.

Everything's pouring on him like a storm. The Elroy Golds' necklace Darren got that he is now wearing, the bag, the shirts, Tim saving him from those police.

"Cutie what the fuck is happening?"

Darren who's on the verge of exploding finally exploded as he stood up and began rambling.

"You! Who are you?! You're a stranger! You know Kira Lin! Your brother's courting him! Kira's an acquaintance! You bought me those expensive things! Replaced my washer and bowl like it's nothing! You have an expensive motor! You saved me from those police! You! You -

"Cutie. Breathe" Tim, who Darren did not even realize is already standing in front of him, spoke as he encircled his arms around his small waist. Drawing him close to that rock hard chest.

"Breathe cutie, alright? Breathe" Tim soothingly repeated as Darren felt one of his hand loosely caress his back.

It's oddly comforting. He felt so serene in Tim's hands as if there's nothing wrong.

Slowly, his panic abated. He sighed deeply and hid his face in Tim's chest as he too loosely encircled his small and gorgeous hands to that sturdy figure.

He's suddenly feeling scared. Tim is a stranger. He is a stranger! What was Darren thinking letting him stay?!

And yet. . . And yet, Darren felt so right in his touch. He felt so okay in his presence. For once, Tim had given him a normal life. Those bickering, him nasty calling Tim, judging, criticizing, and nagging him. It felt so normal.

To live like he's used to. For once, Darren had forgotten that tether locked around his ankle. For a short while, his worries vanished.

Tim had let him speak his mind, he had let him speak what his mouth wants to say. He had let him judge and criticize him and in exchange, Darren had let him curse worse than the worst man, he had let him do what he wants.

Slowly, he's realizing the things Tim had unconsciously done for him. Those days passed by so fast. Those past few weeks he'd been living, he'd been breathing, he'd been fine (regardless of the lack of lawyer of course)

Was Tim really stranger?

"Who are you?" his question was muffled by his face buried in Tim's chest and my, he smelled heavenly.

"I'm your roommate"

Yes, he is his roommate. Now he knew. Tim is his roommate.

Maybe he was a stranger but now, not to Darren.

It's not like Tim's got something to hide, right?