Black and White Ch. 03

"Hi, I'm here to collect an order," Aiden stated collecting his breath. "I was here on Sunday for some contact lenses."

The lady took the proffered card and put on a pair of reading glasses, reading it carefully. "Ah, yes of course. Have a seat, I'll just get your stuff."

Aiden was in no mood to take a seat, he frantically looked at his watch. 17 minutes left. It would take him about 10 minutes if he ran all the way back to university. He could make it to his lecture in time." He calmed himself and took a seat.

13 minutes of impatient waiting later, an irate Aiden asked the preened lady for the fourth time where his order was.

"It's just coming," she answered reassuring him and then called out to someone in a louder voice, "Charles! Get this young man's order pronto!"

Aiden was peeved to the core. He would never get to his lecture on time now. He might as well forget about it. He huffed and went back to sit on the uncomfortable waiting chairs. As soon as he sat down the lady called out, "Ah it's here!"

Aiden thanked the lady in a mordant tone and collected the goods. He had missed a lecture on account of their inefficiency. He walked leisurely out of the shop knowing there was no rush to go anywhere now.

As he descended the spiral stair case he noticed the sign for the Horoscope shop again. Well he could go there now, since he had the free time. Or should he?

After contemplating for half a minute whether he should enter a place with a banner like that, Aiden finally decided he would; he had glanced around and made sure no one who could recognize him would see him entering the store.

He pushed the black glass door open as wind chimes above the door jingled signaling his entry. Aiden found himself in the most colorful room he had seen in his entire life, filled with ominous masks and ornamental bands hanging across the walls. A Japanese girl, who Aiden estimated to be his own age, watching television turned to see who had entered.

"Can I help you?" Aiden noticed her white milky complexion and was reminded of the lady he had encountered having the same complexion.

"Uhh, I'm looking for a lady." Aiden stated unsure of what to ask for.

"The shop's closed, we don't cater to any customers any more."

"The sign outside..."

"We closed shop 3 days ago," the girl interrupted sharply as she muted the television and Aiden realized she had no accent. "The sign outside will be hammered out in a day or two."

"But I'm not here to get my fortune, uhh, future predicted..." The girl pursed her lips and waited for Aiden to continue.

"I'm here to meet an old lady who I met a few days back." Aiden finally managed to say. "Look, this old lady gave me a card to this place and asked for me to call her. I think she runs this place or something" Aiden regretted calling the lady old in front of her probable relative.

The girl's face went blank. "When did you meet her?"

Aiden recalled the day he had come for his lenses earlier, the day he had gone with Will to the retirement home. "On Sunday."

The girl bit her lower lip. "That's the day she died."

Aiden was taken aback. He had hardly dealt with death in his life before and was not sure how to react. "I'm sorry, I'll leave if you want me to."

"No wait, that old lady was my mother. Tell me where you met her." Aiden looked at the girl unsure of what to say. This girl had lost her mother 2 days ago and was talking about it so normally. She registered no signs of shock on her face, only one of determination.

"I met her near my friend's retirement home. She came after me and told me about some danger sort of thing."

"She told you of the devil that was after you," the girl stated flatly.

"Excuse me?"

The girl swiftly got up, switched off the television and turned towards Aiden. "My mom went nuts on Sunday. That was the day she died. In fact she was murdered. Killed by a demonic force."

Aiden was trying to follow what the girl was saying, but made little sense of it. The girl noticed Aiden's expression and stepped closer to him.

"Listen, you may think I'm out of whack, but my mom was psychic. And on that bastard day," she clenched her teeth, "My mom saw some sort of a vision and went nuts. She kept saying something like 'a boy would be consumed by a devil' and drove everyone else in the house mad. Finally she left the house to seek the boy or whatever."

Aiden scrunched his face and creased his brow. He had no idea what to make of this girl or her story.

"She returned later in the evening but was still inconsolable; she said she had not been able to warn the boy even though she had met him. We managed to get her to go to sleep after a big ruckus." The girl paused to add the next bit, "And then she was murdered by the devil."

"She was?" Aiden asked not at all believing what was being said but having no inkling on how to react to a girl who spoke of a dead mother and supernatural phenomenon with such a straight face.

"Yes, she was. When we found her, her eyes had popped out of her head and blood was seeping out through her nose, through her ears, even through the sockets in her eyes." The girl's tone was getting louder and louder and she was almost screaming as she said the last bits.

"Uhh, I ..."

The girl lashed out at Aiden, "You don't believe me do you? But you would believe the forensic reports that showed that her brain had exploded inside her skull, turned to mushy pulp, and all while she lay on her bed alone."

Aiden was having a hard time processing the situation. This girl was getting angry as her entire face had turned from white to red. Suddenly the rage on her face disappeared and tears streamed out form the corners of her eyes as she tried to wipe them with the back of her hand. Aiden stepped away from the girl as if she was an explosive ticking to go off.

"I'm sorry... it's just..." the rest of her words faded in the sobs.

"It's ok, I'll just leave." Aiden was feeling miserable.

"No, no, forgive me for all that anger."

"No, no it's ok."

"No dammit! Listen to what I have to say!" the girl burst out again. Aiden flinched ready to run off if she took the slightest step toward him. He was terrified of this girl now.

"You are the boy mama was trying to protect. You are the one the devil is after."

Aiden chewed at his lips.

"You are the one mama gave her life for."

~~~

A confused boy left the Horoscope shop. Aiden's head was spinning. What did the girl mean by insisting for him to believe in the devil? Why was she so adamant? And there was one thing that she said just before he left her that made him queasy; be careful of new people in your life.

Aiden was terrified. Did she mean to refer to Will? No, that was impossible! Will was the kindest person he had ever met in his entire life. Will was a new person in his life after all. And then he had met another person lately; Scott. These were the only two significant recent additions in his life lately. Or the girl might have been referring to scores of lesser important people that he encountered everyday.

Finally Aiden felt sick at himself for thinking about such things. Finally he came to a conclusion; he had been a fool who felt for a girl that was so traumatized at her mother's death. For all he knew, the girl would scream and cry at anyone who entered the shop since her mother died. There was no reason to believe this obviously disturbed girl.

Then how did the lady who came after him in the first place fit into all this?

~~~

Dominic was tapping his fingers against the table waiting impatiently. He was a prompt person and disliked having to wait for anyone. And right now he was waiting for the most punctual person he knew.

Dominic looked up as he heard footsteps, his face registering surprise at seeing Aiden.

"Dude, where are your glasses?"

Aiden smiled feebly though he hardly felt like it at that time. "Oh, I switched to lenses."

Dominic raised his eyebrows and tried to say something but no words left his mouth. He started again, "What the hell do you mean lenses?"

Aiden's smile accumulated some joy. "Contact Lenses."

"Shit!" Dominic exclaimed. "First you change your hair, and now you dumped your glasses? I mean look at you! Who the fuck are you? I can barely recognize you!"

"So how does it look?" Aiden asked hesitatingly.

"It looks nice." Dominic thought for a couple of seconds before he added, "In fact it suits you pretty well."

Aiden was happy. Dominic had said he was looking good. He had been distressed throughout the afternoon, immersed in anxious thoughts, and had forgotten about the lenses till Dominic pointed it out.

"So what are all these changes for?"

"Uhh, just like that."

"Are you hiding something from me?"

The two were interrupted as a new person entered the room. Aiden stared wide eyed; it was Scott.

"So should we begin?" Scott asked smiling at the pair.

"Begin what?" Aiden asked confused. "Scott what are you doing here?" He was immediately aware of his contact lenses again but reckoned that Scott had met him just once before when he had been wearing spectacles. Scott would not know of the switch he had made; the switch that for Aiden had been so dramatic.

"I'm your guide for robot assembling. Didn't I tell you that I take some courses behind college?"

Aiden stared dumbfounded. Scott was wearing a half sleeved striped shirt and black jeans. And he looked seriously hot! Aiden was watching Scott's lips move as he spoke and was having a hard time concentrating on what he was saying. 'Shit' Aiden thought to himself. 'If this hunk is gonna be my teacher here, I can safely say buh-bye to robotics with the amount I'll be able to concentrate with him around'.

"So shall we begin with our Micromouse?" Scott asked.

Scott disappeared into the adjoining room as the budding engineers followed. "You know him?" Dominic asked as they followed Scott.

"Yeah, sorta. Just met him today and played some tennis with him." Aiden entered a larger room where he found Storm already waiting, sitting on a tiny stool that threatened to give away any moment.

"Okay everyone." Scott clasped his hands as he waited for the trio to settle down. He took a deep breath before he started. "You all have the university TechFest coming up in 4 weeks time and are wanting to submit an entry for the Micromouse contest."

"We want to win it." Dominic interrupted.

"Yes definitely." Scott continued. "Your contest rules are here with me. The maze design and dimensions are categorically defined. What we will need is knowledge in microcontrollers, knowledge of basic assembly language, knowledge of a few electronic devices and a little knowledge of design dynamics."

Aiden was impressed through the little he heard when he was not distracted by Scott's looks. This guy was hot, hunky, smart, and polite. Weren't drop dead gorgeous people supposed to be snobbish and dumb? He now knew of two people who could shatter that theory now.

"What I require from you guys is your dedication and hard work. We don't have much time before the contest and we will have to make the most of the time we do have. I will be starting off with some basic circuits that are not actual components of the Micromouse robot. However these circuits will help you understand what you're doing and impart you important knowledge that could otherwise be left untouched even after completion of the robot."

Aiden stole a glance at his engineer buddies. They were looking up at Scott with respect and awe. Scott's dynamic personality had clearly swept them off their feet. 'He probably has this effect on everyone' Aiden realized.

The group split up into different tasks; Aiden was handed a bunch of circuitry material to complete a PCB and interpret what it did. Aiden started his work, surprised that a simple circuit could be so challenging when you had to work backwards with it. After some fiddling he called for Scott to find out why it was not working.

Scott lifted the board on which the circuit was mounted and glanced at the components.

"There's a tiny problem here." Scott finally stated. "Observe your green LED."

Aiden narrowed his eyes to observe and then cursed himself. He had soldered the LED in reverse polarity.

"Shit! what a dork!" Aiden muttered cursing himself as he slapped his forehead.

Scott smiled at Aiden. "Happens to the best of us."

Aiden was smitten. This man was so polite. He loved the manner in which Scott made you realize your mistakes and was not at all patronizing. This man was actually making him understand all the heavy circuitry he had been involved in for the first time. Otherwise Aiden's knowledge was bookish and pedantic. He could feel his heart warming next to Scott. This man exuded comfort and also some sort of intoxication.

Aiden watched as Scott went over to Storm who was busy fiddling with tiny electronic components with his large bulky fingers, a sight to behold. The two laughed at Storm's attempts to insert a thin wire into the breadboard grooves. Aiden noticed as Storm got up that Scott was nearly the same height as him. But whereas Storm possessed a lot of bulk and looked generally large, Scott was in perfect shape; perfect arms, broad back and shoulders, and the most perfect butt. Aiden scolded himself, 'Ok, finish your work first!' and forced himself to look down at the circuit.

"He's probably straight anyway!" He reasoned to himself. "Plus I have Will now."

~~~

It was later in the evening when the trio left Scott and his gadgets. Aiden was feeling much better than he had been all afternoon. But as soon as Dominic and Storm left him he got lost in his own thoughts as he walked towards Will's apartment.

With the advent of the robotics project, he would now be meeting Scott on a regular basis. 'Scott White', he voiced to himself. He chuckled thinking there were two handsome men in his life who had last names of colors. 'Black and White'.

Scott was immensely likeable, other than the fact that he could almost make Aiden cum in his underwear. He was attracting Aiden like a moth to a flame. And Aiden was having a hard time stopping himself from being lured. But why did he even have to think about anyone else now?

Now there was Will in his life. A person who seemed to desire him as much as he did. And he was absolutely fantastic. Then what was bothering him. Wasn't all the things the Japanese girl and lady said crap? 'What devil drivel!' He suddenly remembered Tinka's question. 'Wasn't Will too perfect?' Why had his best friend said something like that? Aiden knew it was a harmless question, asked in care, but something like that from Tinka really affected him. Was Tinka feeling there was something wrong behind Will's façade? Why the hell did she have to feel that way? Just when he was so happy.

So now there were two alpha males in his life. Two men that both looked that they just stepped out from the cover of a romance novel. Men so handsome that they were difficult to fathom. So why was he so distressed?

Aiden reached Will's building, surprised he had not realized where the journey started and where it got over. He was way too washed out mentally. He was crestfallen and insecure. And he did not know a proper reason to assign for his worries.

~~~

Black opened the swung the door open knowing it was Aiden who had arrived. He was immediately flooded by Aiden's thoughts.

Aiden stood there in the hallway, trying to smile at him. But Black knew otherwise. He felt the pathos of unanswered questions overwhelming him. Black stepped forward and hugged Aiden, enfolding him within his arms. Aiden immediately closed his eyes and rested his head on his lover's strong shoulder.

Black gently stroked Aiden's back, swaying gently, purring sweet nothings in his ear. The boy was insecure and had only him to hold onto. He started analyzing Aiden's thoughts.

There was the worry of a fortune telling lady's daughter that had distressed his lover by telling him of a devil. So killing the old lady had not been good enough? There was nothing more that could be done about it now. If he tried to wipe out this daughter now, and Aiden found out, the consequences could be cataclysmic.

Then there was the matter of doubt and uncertainty expressed by a friend. The same girl he had met earlier. There was certainly no manner in which he could intervene there.

And then there was the matter of a new man that confused his lover's senses. Black decided to root out this man if he posed a problem again.

Black was till swaying with Aiden, still out in the hallway. He gauged Aiden's worries, fears, anxieties and doubts and felt melancholic himself. He would do anything in his powers to make Aiden feel better. All he wanted was to see this boy smile. No one would be allowed to harm his lover.

Black gently rubbed his cheeks against Aiden's, still purring soothingly as the boy stood still, holding onto, fearing to let go. Black knew what the boy wanted.

He gently lifted the boy in his arms and carried him inside, ever so slightly shutting the door. Reaching the bedroom he placed him on the bed softly and carefully removed their clothes before joining his lover.

Back made soft and tender love to Aiden, long and slow, completely losing himself in the tender passion and feelings of affection that inundated him. He wanted nothing more than to please this boy. To fill joy in his heart and rid him of his anxieties. To make him understand that everything would be ok. He climaxed the lovemaking, for the first time feeling sated himself.

He lightly ran his hair through Aiden's hair. He knew his next words should never have been uttered.

"Don't worry about anything. I'll always be with you."

And with that he quietly dozed of with his lover, knowing that the human feelings he was experiencing were going to land him in trouble.

~~~

Fifteen minutes later Aiden groggily got out of the bed. He stepped over to where his jeans lay and fished out a tiny double sectioned box. Stretching the skin below his eyes he popped the contact lenses out and placed each one of them in the small compartments marked L and R. Having finished the task, he moved back into the arms of his lover, cursing the fact that lenses needed to be removed before sleeping.

~~~

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Ok, so lots of events in Aiden's life. A lot of things he's going through. Black and White are now both key people in his life. We'll see how he deals with things as they come. There's still a lot of things left to happen.

Any questions, criticism, and queries are welcome.