F

Not long after, Anton came back out with a container of pills, offering them to Xander.

Xander gave him a look of 'what if those aren't actually headache pills?'

Anton chuckled. "I think we've gotten past the stage of being wary of what I give you to eat or drink. I haven't poisoned you so far, and the only reason I suggested taking these is because you have a headache."

Xander didn't say anything. He took the container from Anton's hand and poured two pills into his own, covering the container and offering it back to Anton, who had poured him a new glass of water. Anton took the container, and carried a few other dishes and left.

Xander sat for a while, waiting for the effects of the medicine to kick in, while watching Anton go to and fro between the kitchen and the dining table, carrying all the dishes inside. After a while he got up and headed into the kitchen as well. Anton had already carried the last of the plates.

*

Anton washed the dishes alone this time. Xander stood resting on the counter beside the sink. "Are you sure you don't need my help? I feel it's only fair for me to."

Anton smiled. "I know. Just take a rest. The headache would be gone in a moment. I know you'll hurry back again soon, so do without excessive movement for now. When the headache ceases, you'll go."

Xander gave Anton a once over, as though trying to decipher what he was trying to do. Why he seemed so genuinely bothered about him.

Anton only went back to the washing, still smiling. Once the dishes were done, he turned to Xander. "Still hurt?"

"Barely."

"Go take a seat at the dining table. I'll let you go back when it's all done."

"You sound like I can only go if you give me permission."

Anton didn't say anything, the smile on his face only widened. "It's for your own good."

"Since when did you start getting worried about what is good for me or not?" Xander asked sarcastically.

"Blunt as always. To be honest, since the first time you decided to visit me." Anton answered honestly. "You seem pretty worn out nowadays."

"I'm not." Xander replied rather defensively. "And I don't need your help, pity or worry either."

"I know." The sincerity was practically written all over Anton's face.

Xander looked at him for a while, but he could find any weakness in his expression that said otherwise. "I'm leaving." Was all he said and he stood up rather quickly.

Anton looked like he was going to say something about it, but then changed his mind and smiled slightly instead. This smile was much dimmer than all of the past ones. "Alright. Drive safe. Come again next time."

Xander didn't reply, he only looked at Anton and left as though he didn't hear him.

Hearing the front door close, Anton's smile disappeared and he sighed. "Because of how you are, I can assume you won't come again till you really want to, and that might as well be at least three weeks or a month later."

He smiled sadly, and got up, putting the chairs back in their place. Then he went back to the lounge.

Anton sat in his seat, holding the black book again. He was reading the book again, this time however, he only let out a few sighs rather randomly.

*

They were in the lounge again, sitting in their places as usual.

Xander sat in his chair looking quite disgruntled. His jaw was locked so hard it was impossible not to notice, talk less of the sound of his gritting teeth. His left fist tightened and loosened reflexively.

He was dressed extremely casually this day, as though he was spending time in his own house. A black v neck shirt and black jeans, not too skinny not too loose. He wore dark blue sneakers on his feet, and he didn't have a watch on like he usually did. His hair was styled back but it didn't look like it had gel in it this time.

Anton was dressed as prim and proper as ever in black slacks and a wine coloured button up. His hair wasn't tied up this time. It was styled with a center parting between the bangs and fell around his face rather beautifully. A black hair band sat on the stool between his and Xander's chair.

His attention wasn't on Xander this time, but on the black book he'd been reading previous times. He held the book in his left and a pen in his right. He seemed to be writing something in the book. His legs were crossed again, left over right, so when he wrote something, he placed the book on his crossed leg to write. He wore black dress shoes on his feet.

"First time I've seen you wear dark colored clothes." Xander pointed out randomly.

Anton hummed, capped his pen and placed a black coloured bookmark lying on the stool in between the pages of the book he was writing in and placed the pen on top of the book on the stool at his left, between his chair and the sofa.

He picked up the hair band and tied up his hair almost completely and folded the end, tying it in a low ponytail, but not too low. Just low enough not to be right on the top of his head like girls tie theirs and so it didn't brush his skin, leaving out the front strands that formed bangs somewhat.

When he was done tying it, he finally took a look at Xander, while brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "You noticed." He stated with an indifferent face.

"It was kind of hard not to." Xander rolled his eyes. "The past two times I was here, you only ever wore light coloured clothes. White the first time and cream the second."

"You remembered." Anton's face was still as indifferent while saying it. It was a statement. Not a question. And he didn't sound curious or confused.

"I don't think I have that horrible of a memory, Anton. And yes it's been about a month and a few days since I came, but I'm pretty sure my memory isn't that shitty."

Anton said nothing. He only smiled, genuinely this time. It was indeed as he predicted. It wasn't until a month or so before Xander visited again.