Desperate Boy (Lia && HKitten)

Almost wanting to pout, he just sighed and stood up, when the other male rejected his idea to play for a bit. It looked like this new puppy didn’t like to play with him as of yet, so he decided not to push. “Since this is the first week, perhaps we can use the weekend to get to know each other a bit more…” he offered, moving towards the hallway that led to the bedroom to open the small closet. There, he found a spare pillow and a thin blanket for the pet, before handing it to him and leading them towards the bedroom.

“You can sleep in here, as I would prefer the carpet in the living room not to be dented in by weight.” Matthew stated, moving to his own bed in the far corner of the room and plopping down. He just sat there and watched Charlie for a few moments, wondering if the ground was going to be that comfortable, but not questioning it. The blonde choose the floor, so he wasn’t going to push, and even though he wanted his new pet to be at least at his feet, he would not suggest it again. The offer for the other male to join him on the bed was still left out there, but perhaps not tonight. He didn’t doubt though, that after a few days on the ground, the blonde would want to sleep on a bed.

“Tomorrow, why don’t you wake up early and show me you can make breakfast. The alarm on the nightstand as two settings, and you can have the first. Sounds good?” the brunette offered, sliding into his sheets and resting his head. Today had been a long day at work, and even longer with the prospect of having a pet. Hopefully, the blonde was ‘house trained’ as he wanted as well, but mainly in the operating cleanness he was hoping for, instead of “don’t pee in the plants” kind of deal.
 
The thin blanket wasn't exactly what he'd been hoping for, but that was okay. He'd hold out until he got paid and then purchase a large and fluffy sleeping bag and blanket to make himself a proper bed. Charlie supposed he understood Matthew's hope, but he didn't know how to put it into words that it just wasn't going to happen. It was about being strangers, yes, but also about having no sexual attraction to the other man, no matter how handsome he was. It just...wasn't there, and while he could say that, Charlie didn't want to insult the other.

The blond nodded that he would wake up early and moved to set the alarm for seven thirty before taking one of his bags into the bathroom to change into pajamas. He returned only a few moments later and curled up on the floor. It wasn't as comfortable as a bed, of course, but there was nothing that he could do for the time being. He closed his eyes and wished the other good night softly before slowly drifting off to sleep. It had been a long day.

When the alarm went off in the morning, Charlie was groggy as he got up. He forgot that there was someone else in the room and therefore didn't even bother to turn the beeping annoyance off. Instead, he moved to the kitchen and began to fix breakfast: eggs and bacon and toast all thrown together expertly.
 
Noticing that Charlie was just setting up his bed on the ground as if the man planned to stay there for however long they were going to have this arrangement, he just sighed and settled back into his bed. Of course he didn’t expect the other to just jump into bed with him so that he could pet or coddle with, as they were strangers still. He wasn’t even going to push, as he wasn’t looking for a whore, but just a companion and a servant. Having Charlie do the chores and take care of things around the house was easy enough. If he had wanted someone to share his bed in the sexual sense, he wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble, after all.

Closing his eyes, he allowed sleep to take over and the lull of dreamless sleep to wipe his mind. When the morning came, he heard the first alarm go off, signaling that his pet was getting up to do a bit of work on his own. Matthew was a bit groggy as well, as he didn’t care to wake up on a weekend, but knew that since he had Charlie get up to make him breakfast, that he would have to get up as well to eat the meal. The alarm was still whining in the background and he reached over to turn it off with a groan. Ugh…I’ll have to remind him to turn it off after he’s woken… he mentally muttered, before sitting up in bed and yawning.

If this had been a weekday, he would have gotten up to get ready, but as it was just Saturday, he stretched his limbs, before getting out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast? Smells good.” he noted with a small hum, finding it nice to have someone make him breakfast instead of having to make it himself. Sitting at the island again, he just rested his chin in his elbows.
 
Charlie jumped a little when the other man spoke, but he recovered quickly. "Bacon, eggs. Toast. I didn't know what you liked so I just pulled together some old favorites that everyone likes." Shrugging, he served the other man before cleaning up. He wasn't a morning person and the blond fully intended on going back to bed, or even just napping on the sofa for a few hours. But first, the pans had to be washed and the crumbs brushed into the sink and the utensils put into the dishwasher.

And once those things were done, the blond began to trudge back to the bedroom. "I need another hour of ---" He yawned, unable to stop himself even though he was still midsentence. "Mmm... Of sleep." He didn't see any problem with it, and he would be up by ten at the latest. They'd still have half the day to do...well, whatever 'getting to know each other' entailed. So long as it wasn't a dog park where he was expected to catch a frisbee or stick in his mouth, Charlie was pretty sure he could handle whatever was thrown at him.

He curled back into his make-shift bed with a tiny groan and closed his eyes once more, easily falling back into a deep sleep.
 
Nodding his head, he just waited for his breakfast to be served and smiled. This was a nice change, indeed. Once the food was on the table for him, he dug in with a steady pace, as he watched Charlie clean up the mess he had made. Matthew noted that the blonde was “house trained” then, and was glad that he didn’t pick up some gigolo that didn’t know how to clean up after himself. In fact, that was such a plus, that he wasn’t even bothered that the pet didn’t want to play right away, but went back to the bedroom to get some sleep first.

Must have been awhile since he’s gotten up this early or something… he mentally chuckled, before finishing off his meal and placing the plate into the sink. He was two seconds away from cleaning up the mess, but remembered that he had hired Charlie for a reason. Leaving the plate and fork there, he padded back towards his bedroom and moved to get dress into something more fitting to go out in. However, as he was searching threw his clothes, he decided that perhaps today could be spent inside to get to know each other, without the bothering of others listening into their conversation.

Sighing, he closed the closet door and moved to sit at the edge of his bed. The room wasn’t large, but it was filled with expensive items, as the apartment area was full of ‘richer’ people in general, so he had to be careful not to step on Charlie as he walked around. On the bed, he was bored at what to do, as he usually just spent the day watching television or catching up on work. Now that he’s cleared up some time for the other male, he just had to wait for him to wake up. “Come on…how much sleep can one need?” he pondered out loud, after an hour and a half went by. Matthew was usually patient, but this was just ridiculous to him. Reaching out with a foot, he prodded the sleeping form on the side, as if he was waking his dog up.
 
Charlie growled deeply at the foot to his back and he turned over with a death glare at the man. Had he been an actual animal, the blond was seriously contemplating sinking his teeth into the leg. "Look. I know what you want, but you know what I am. I'll play your game with the stipulation that you treat me with some sort of dignity." He threw the blankets off of him and grabbed one of the bags with his clothes to go shower and dress for the day. "And if you don't," he added before shutting the bathroom door behind him, "you'll once again find yourself very lonely and wishing you had picked yourself up a whore!"

With that, the door was closed and locked behind him. The blond was rarely ever hot headed but being treated so blatently like an animal pissed him off. Sure, he'd expected the petting and the other wanting him to play, but being kicked awake like he wasn't human... He just couldn't wrap his mind around. There had to be some limitations and Charlie could see the contract being re-written at the end of the week if he decided to stay... And that wasn't looking so hot right now.

Once cleaned and dressed, the blond returned to the bedroom. He said nothing to the other man as he set his bag back in the corner of the room and set about folding his blanket, which was then laid on top of his bags with his pillow. He was a very neat person, and clutter bothered him to no end. Still without a word, he moved to the kitchen to make some oatmeal for himself, setting the dirty dish and fork into the dishwasher without a second thought. Charlie sat at the counter with his breakfast, contemplating just why he was here again.
 
Tilting his head, he watched with amazement at the sudden snap, followed by Charlie leaving with a menacing glare. While he wasn’t one to speak back about these things, as the person usually vented it all out and then left with a small huff, or at least, deflated themselves after awhile, he had to wonder if the blonde was naturally that hotheaded. All Matthew had done was prodded the other male’s back as lightly as he could and it appeared like his new ‘roommate’ didn’t like to be touched by feet in general. What an odd guy… he mentally chuckled, standing up and was about to go get some juice to drink, before Charlie came back.

This time, the other male seemed to be huffing around and was giving him the silent treatment, before leaving yet again. Following him, it turned out that the other male was just making oatmeal. Waiting a few moments as to not be rude and interrupt Charlie’s thinking process, he finally spoke up after it appeared like the blonde wasn’t thinking of anything. “Uh…are you mad at me?” Matthew scratched the back of his head and half glanced at Charlie, before reaching into the fridge and grabbing the carton of orange juice.

Usually, this was a bad question to ask girlfriends or so, as they would huff that they weren’t ‘mad’ at the person. Adjacent to that, they would say that they were irritated or that they didn’t understand why someone would do said action that got them mad in the first place. Either way, it resulted in the silent treatment and the annoyed glare, so one had to wonder what was a safe question to ask during times like this. Then again, the brunette had to wonder when he got a ‘girlfriend’ instead of a ‘pet’.
 
Charlie didn't quite know how to answer that question. He was annoyed. And initially he'd been pissed off. Now? Now he supposed that he could chalk it up to getting used to the situation as best he could. But that didn't mean that he didn't feel anger towards the way that he'd been treated. The blond processed his thoughts and feelings as quickly as he could-he didn't want the other man to think that he was being rude and ignoring the question all together, but he wanted to give a solid and truthful answer.

"I don't know," was all that he could come up with for the moment. "I'm annoyed, I suppose. I don't mind cleaning around the house, or acting a specific way but that doesn't entitle you to treat me as if I were really an animal. I didn't sign up for that. Or, rather, I won't be signing up for that at the end of the week... If at all." Charlie played with his oatmeal and thought a bit more.

Eventually, he came up with what he wanted to say. "Did you ever think that if you treated whoever you hired to do this as a friend more than an animal, the excitement they felt for your presence wouldn't have to be feigned?" He sighed a little. "I can act-I was well trained to do so. But it sounds like you don't really want an actor at all, and if that's the case... Then I suppose we're going to be doing a lot of compromising if this works out."
 
Matthew stood there, leaning against the island’s edge, while he waited for his ‘pet’ to answer him. While he would have been impatient normally, he also knew that this was a new situation for the both of them, so giving the other male time to answer was a must. The answer he got from Charlie was almost cute, with the way the other male was speaking as if he had treated him like some animal. Sure, the whole ‘acting’ was fun, but the blonde was right about him wanting to have someone that actually liked being around him. Then again, that was what his friends and family were for, not someone he picked off of the streets.

“Honestly, the whole reason you were hired was for you to act and be treated like a puppy.” he shrugged, placing his cup down and seeing that compromising had its benefits. However, he had hired this person for two reasons, and if those two weren’t met, then what was the point of keeping this guy around? “I won’t mistreat you, if that’s what you’re worried about. But when you’re around me, I want you to act like a dog. Yes, this will take your acting skills to do so if you can’t make it natural. Crawl around, bark, nuzzle my hand to get petted; the whole act. When I’m not around, go ahead and be your ‘human’ self and do whatever else is on the contract.”

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed his cup and placed it into the sink, before heading towards the living room and sat down on the couch. The apartment wasn’t huge, so he was still within speaking distance. “If you can’t live with that, then there’s no point of keeping you around. Go home if you want.” Matthew stated, half knowing that it was too good to be true about getting someone willing to play the part. Grabbing for the remote, he flipped on the television and began to search for something to watch; seemingly dismissing the conversation and expecting Charlie to just leave. After all, it wasn’t his problem the other male needed money while he had some. If Charlie couldn’t suck up his own pride to gain a place to stay and some money, then he could just go out and find a whore, like the other male said.
 
Thinking about the answer, Charlie moved to clean up. He knew it was true, but at the same time... Well, he just didn't know. An analogy came to mind as he moved towards the bedroom once more to pick out a book to read from one of his bags. "It's like bringing a new pet home. Before it's playful and happy and comfortable, you have to let it adjust." The blond shrugged a little. "Everyone has their limits-mine are rather simple and if you adhere to them, I'll adjust to the situation in time. If you don't want me here, then you just have to say."

He picked out one of his favorite books and returned to the living room to read. He chose a spot on the floor with his back against the wall, not because he was supposed to be a puppy and therefore not on the furniture, but because he always found the floor more comfortable than any lumpy sofa any day. He honestly didn't know if this would pan out, but at least he could try for the week and get paid for it, even if it didn't. Maybe the money would last him long enough to find some other job.
 
Peeking over towards the blonde male as he moved to sit at the wall on the ground after grabbing a book, Matthew chuckled a bit, before scooting closer towards him. Leaning against edge of the couch, he relaxed his arm off of the side, while motioning for Charlie to scoot closer and lean against the side of the couch. Since the couch was just floating in the center of the room, he was just a few feet away from the other male.

He wasn’t going to be rude, and if Charlie was willing to try, then he would be as well. “Alright, I won’t push. Just something soft and easy at first, alright?” he compromised, still motioning for the blonde to get closer while they relaxed. The brunette only planned to play with his pet’s hair and gently stroke his head—both something masters did to their pet, as well as lovers to their lovers. Whichever direction it led to, he just knew that it was an affectionate gesture that was calming and not ‘demeaning’; if not for the fact that Charlie was on the ground. However, he wouldn’t say anything about it, so he just made it seem as natural as possible. After all, if Charlie was a ‘new pet’ like the blonde stated, then he had to lure the puppy in like a good master and treat him well before he gained some trust.
 
Catching the sigh before it was fully exhaled, Charlie scooted to sit with his back to the side of the sofa. He could tell that Matthew was trying, and that it was an awkward situation for him, too and so the blond knew that the only "right" thing to do would be to reciprocate the effort that the other man was putting in. It was weird for sure, but the blond had to admit that he'd always liked having his hair stroked and played with and he found himself thinking that perhaps he could get used to this part faster than any of the other parts.

Nearly a half hour passed before Charlie realized that he'd set his book down and leaned his head back against the sofa to be petted and massaged. His murky eyes were closed over and his face held a look of complete contentment. Even though he was fully enjoying himself, he didn't want to give away a weakness so early in the game. The blond moved and stood up to get a glass of water, mostly to calm the flutterings of happiness in his stomach. The glass was downed and another retrieved, as well was another glass and Charlie filled that one with ice.

"Would you like something?" He was glad that the cool water had allowed him to regain his speech, because before Charlie felt like he would have stumbled over every other word had he tried to speak.
 
Once Charlie was next to him, he just resumed watching the television screen with half the interest he had since the beginning. Most of his concentration was on the male sitting below him that he was petting. His fingers quickly found their way into the other’s hair and began to stroke a few strands of hair between his digits. Matthew didn’t expect that the blonde had been homeless for any time before this—perhaps close, but not out on the streets—so he wasn’t surprised to feel the hair to be almost baby soft. In fact, it was much softer than most puppies and some children’s.

After what felt like a good amount of time, the brunette was jolted out of his ponderings when Charlie suddenly stood up and moved to get some water. The other male appeared so thirsty that he was drinking cups full of water, before asking if Matthew wanted something. “It’s almost lunch time…maybe you could start on something for us?” he asked politely, tilting his head to look at the blonde as he spoke. It was just another part of their game and ‘business transaction’, so he would play along with Charlie for now. Sooner or later, he’d be able to get the puppy he wanted, but for now, he would have to be a good ‘master’.

“I won’t mind whatever you decide to make. Just nothing too cold…I think I prefer something warm in my stomach today.” the brunette noted, before shifting on the couch so that his legs were on the other cushions as well; leaving him somewhat laying on the couch. Glancing back at Charlie, he wondered if the other male even knew how to cook. This was indeed an awkward period of time. He didn’t know how well his servant could do things, and on top of that, they were playing a game of how far they would take this ‘pet’ business.
 
Nodding, he was somewhat glad that the other didn't want a drink. If he had, that would mean returning to have his hair stroked again, which he felt that he enjoyed too much. Cooking, he could do. The blond thought for a moment, planning out something in his head before moving to the cabinets and fridge to gather everything that he would need: pasta, a jar of sauce and the spices to doctor it up, some chop meat and the rest of the ingredients to fry up some quick meatballs... Charlie worked in the kitchen almost seamlessly, though he did trip up over finding where everything was. Most of the items were in impractical places and he would have to ask if he could reorganize the kitchen.

He couldn't remember where he'd learned to cook, but he did it mostly by instinct and taste, rather than recipes. He never got recipes right, and the blond had learned that early on. It was just easier to taste everything he made. When he was satisfied with how everything had turned out, Charlie plated everything beautifully and even garnished it with a little Parmesan cheese and a sprig of parsley, setting the plate and a glass of red wine that he'd found in the cabinet out for Matthew.

"Get it while it's hot," he called out a little playfully. It was the first time he'd been anything but serious since he'd arrived at the apartment, and it felt sort of good to act just a little bit like himself again. The blond made a dish of pasta for himself, foregoing the wine, and sat across from the other man to enjoy a little lunch.
 
When Charlie nodded to cooking, the brunette just tilted his head away from the television and began to watch the other male. The kitchen was in a mess—relatively speaking. He had a habit of finding things he needed, using them, washing them, and then tossing them in whatever direction he thought was a good idea. Of course, that meant that he had to go back and search for that same item again if he wanted to use it. Often times, he found himself losing things he needed, such as measuring cups or spoons, and in the end, he would just improvise. That perhaps made him a lousy cook, but from the look of it, the blonde was doing quite well.

At least you won’t be starving with him around… Matthew thought with a slight chuckle, while watching Charlie almost trip over himself. Since he was a disoriented person in general, he didn’t think it would hurt to allow the blonde to organize the entire apartment if he desired to do so. Other than that, he was impressed with the speed that the meatballs were made, as well as the noodles were cooked. He was just a bad cook in general though, so maybe he was just being too awed for no reason.

“Coming, coming.” he chuckled, as he rolled off the couch to stand up and moved over to the island in the center of the kitchen. Charlie sat across from him with his own plate, so he just smiled and dug in. The flavoring wasn’t “perfect”, as he didn’t think most things were, but it was very close. Sweet and tangy like meatballs should, with a healthy dose of the ‘meat’ flavoring. The noodles weren’t too salty, but not bland either, which made a good combination.

“You’re a good cook.” Matthew committed, before reaching over without thinking and ruffling the other’s hair. “I noticed that you were fumbling over things. Would you like to clean the house and reorganize? Er…I’d help if you need it, but only on the weekends.” compromise, he reminded himself.
 
((Sorry! Work took over x.x))

This was cooking? Charlie shook his head. "This is doctoring. And boiling water. Cooking is... Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy made from the au jus, vegetables and some richly sinful dessert." It wasn't a dish he made often, but it was a favorite of his to make when he had someone special to impress. Matthew wasn't there yet, but the blond couldn't help but hope that perhaps he would be sooner rather than later. That said, he dug into his lunch, though he didn't have quite as much enthusiasm as he did the night before.

Conversation was minimal. He didn't know what to say and so Charlie worked at keeping his mouth full most of the time so that he wouldn't have to say anything. His thoughts did run their way through his head, though. The prominent one was that he was fully expecting Matthew to demand that he eat from a dish on the floor to complete this whole "pet" deal. No... No, he would have none of that. He may be doing unheard of things to earn money, but he had dignity and he planned to keep it fully intact.

Only when they were both finished eating, Charlie took the dishes and began to clean up. Leftovers were slipped into the fridge for lunch or dinner another day, pots were scrubbed, counters and stove wiped down... Everything was sparkling clean by the time he was done and sitting back in the living room with his book once more. Perhaps he would get further into it this time? Six pages in a half hour was pretty pathetic.
 
Tilting his head, he just finished off his meal when he wasnâ??t answered to his question and offer. Matthew assumed that it was a positive that they would help each other clean up and organize some things in the kitchen and perhaps house. Shrugging, he licked his lips of the sauce and stood up to move towards Charlie and help clean, but found that the blonde was a lot faster than he was. Once everything was cleaned up, he moved back towards the couch area and sat down next to Charlie. He had nothing majorly planned for the day, but since the blonde was determined to read, he figured heâ??d pop out his laptop and began to read for the news and things on the stock marketâ??he had work to do slightly, after all.

Things were â??steadyâ?? as they could be from what he could see, but he reminded himself to check back in an hour or if he forgot, the next day. While he looked like an everyday worker, Matthew was just a step up from that and was a manager of the â??branchâ??, and working designer. If he had found the time and will, he might have attempted to climb even higher up into the other seats, but found that he was happy where he was.

Leaning back against the couch, he reached over and gently began to play with the blondeâ??s hair again. While he should have asked, Matthew hoped that the other male didnâ??t mind that he was touching his hair. The strands were addicting to touch and since Charlie didnâ??t protest too much before, he hoped this was alright. After a few long moments, he wondered if it was rude for him to attempt to speak. â??Soâ?¦what job did you use to do?â?

[ooc; No problem ^^ Work can be tedious and take over to distraction~ @.@]
 
Charlie sighed a little when his hair was petted again. There were times when he just wanted to be left alone. We're all animals like that? But he didn't say anything...for now. Instead, he did his best to simply ignore the pressure and pleasurable fingertips in his hair and focus solely on his book. It was getting easier to do that, as with each page he turned, the book's plot got better and better. Still, the question came at a pivitol plot moment and that annoyed him.

The blond ground his teeth together, trying to not snap at the other man. It had been a long time since he had to live with anyone else, and Matthew was just trying to make conversation, he supposed. It would be silly to put themselves into this situation and not know anything about the other person. Still, he didn't find himself bursting with questions for the other man and he wondered idly why that was.

"Business," he answered vaguely. Really, his previous job wasn't...legal. He tried to keep everything about that part of his past close to his chest, not wanting to show those cards to anyone if he didn't truly have to.
 
Raising his eyebrow at the simple question that was very vague, he glanced away from his screen and down towards the other male. “Uh…what do you mean, ‘business’? That could mean a lot of things, Charlie.” he chuckled, knowing that the blonde must have been in business of some sort; he just looked like that type of person. But while he wasn’t trying to pry into the other man’s life, he was curious. Short, one word answers weren’t conversational and didn’t allow the two to get to know each other. It appeared like Charlie just needed a bit of a push to keep going.

At work, Matthew realized that there were people like that, so he had to deal with that once every while. Charlie was trying to adjust to the situation, so he was probably not very talkative. But then again, what was the point of having a companion if the companion didn’t talk to you, right? “You know, I know you don’t want to act and all, and I don’t want it either. But could you at least try to be a bit warmer towards me? Money aside, we are living together for now.” the brunette noted, shrugging when he realized that was probably a bit forward.

Then again, he was the person losing the bucks and time with this blonde, so he felt he had the right to state things like that. Charlie could go out on the streets at this moment and he would probably just live life as it was. As a manager with a well-off company, he wasn’t afraid of being fired or losing his job—why, he had such a stabilized job that he barely had the will to move up the corporate ladder. However, he wasn’t so sure Charlie could say that his life would resume normally and had a place to stay, if the blonde was truly jobless as it was.
 
"It could mean a lot of things, but I'm not comfortable discussing it and I was hoping that my curt answer would have eluded to that." He hadn't meant to be snippy, but he also didn't like people prying into his life where they were not welcome. The blond turned back to his book through the speech that was made to him. Charlie paid attention, but only partially and he even had the gall to finish the paragraph that he was reading before looking up to address the other's comments.

"I'm not a warm person. I'm sorry if you thought I was, but I'm not. I like to keep my past and personal life to myself, I don't like to smile and I'm a loner. It's why this job will require my phenomenal acting skills." Charlie thought for a moment. He didn't mind revealing what type of person he was, and perhaps that would help Matthew understand him a little better. "This is a job to me, Matthew. I'm here for the cash and the place to stay. And I'll give you whatever you want for those things, but there are just some things that I can't act."

The blond bent his head back and looked up at the other man. He wasn't sure what to expect after that speech, but he knew it couldn't be good.
 
Titling his head at the first answer, he just waited for the second response, before he realized that Charlie was actually reading again. Raising an eyebrow, he was a bit irritated that he was being ignored, especially when the guy was supposed to be a companion and was not giving any indications as to even attempt to speak to him. When he was about to speak and interrupt the other male again, the answer finally came.

That made him blink a few times and raise an eyebrow. Truly though, what was the other male thinking? Sure he had not meant to pry, but then again, it looked like he had picked up a useless dog. “Indeed there are things that you can and can’t do.” Matthew muttered, shrugging and pulling back his hand. “But I’m paying you to act then, Charlie. I don’t care what type of personality you have or whatever. If this is just a job for you, then I must inform you as an employer that you are failing quite horribly.” Closing his laptop, he placed it onto the coffee table and turned his uncaring gaze towards the blonde.

“If you can’t act like you’re a pet and that you care to be around me, such as making conversation and tending to my needs, then your skills are lacking. I can always find someone else and you are welcome to leave before the week is over.” he stated firmly, knowing that he could find someone else or to the pet store and get some pet that was at last trainable. Unwillingness that Charlie was emitting was something that was annoying him and he would not pay for someone to annoy him while he was supposed to relax at him.
 
"I have my limits," he kept firmly. "I can act that I wish to be around you-and if to you that means carrying on a conversation then fine." The blond took a deep breath before setting his book face down to mark his place. Charlie turned and knelt at the man's side, hands resting on the arm of the sofa. He put on a cheesy grin, widened his eyes and pretended that he was a little boy in a toy store. His tone turned excited, though there was no mistaking the sarcasm that was behind it all.

"Oh my gosh! You want to know about me! That's so great! Well see, I worked for this little old woman who made quilts out of her home and donated them all to her church and in my free time, I volunteered at the children's hospital with the terminally ill patients! And I love being around you so pet me, pet me, pet me!" He spoke so fast it was likely hard for the other man to understand anything that he'd said, but that added to the faux enthusiasm that he was going for.

Rolling his eyes, the blond stood up, picking up his book and dog-earing the page before closing it. "Is that what you wanted?" he asked before moving back into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of wine. He was starting to feel like he might need it.
 
Hearing the rushed words, he blinked a few times as if trying to process the information, before freezing in place. When Charlie stood up to get a drink of wine, he actually threw his head back and laughed. Loudly. Matthew had never met such a disoriented person that had so many issues behind him, it was probably making him act this way. His acting was rather good, as he had almost bought into the whole ‘old women’ information. The blonde had those eyes about him that was able to fake those things and make others wonder if he was speaking the truth or not.

However, that was not what he wanted, though it was rather entertaining. “Not exactly what I wanted…but I’ll give you points for trying.” Matthew chuckled, before trying to calm his laughter down and stood up to get a cup of wine himself. It didn’t hurt to get a bit of drink in oneself and hopefully, Charlie would loosen up a bit as well. “You know, if you can act so well, why don’t you just act like you’re willing to be here then? Nothing of the extreme, but like…” he glanced towards the running television that he hadn’t turned off since earlier.

Smirking, he leaned in fractionally to give the blonde a playful look. “Like you’re attracted to me. Like you want to gain my attention by actually being nice and talkative. Sarcasm only gets you so far, Charlie.” the brunette suggested, grinning as he leaned back and took a gulp of the wine. He was pushing his buttons, but then again, Charlie was pushing the brunette’s as well. They were both just playing a game of cat and mouse, but the only difference is that the cat knew he didn’t have to keep the mouse there. Where else would this mouse go? To a more vicious and demanding cat? Either way, Matthew had nothing to lose and something to gain.
 
Charlie sipped his wine, studying the man in front of him. The blond was calculating-a very sensitive soul, he protected himself the best way he knew how: by keeping himself closed off from anyone who could or would hurt him. It allowed Charlie to study everyone; to learn what they were about and their tricks. It caused others to fold and show their hands before he'd even considered it. Matthew did the same, whether he was aware of such or not. He kept alluding to tossing Charlie out, but yet had not. He didn't think that the other man would, really. The request was so out there that many would think him a nut and call the cops. A real puppy wouldn't cook and clean for him. He had more to lose than he thought.

That didn't mean, however, that Charlie was read to show his hand yet. "What reason do I have to act in such a way?" he asked, schooling his features except for the little twinkle of mischief and mystery in his otherwise dull eyes. "I do not wish to sleep with you, and you want my attention, not the other way around. Or did I misinterpret you yet again?" Truly, Charlie would be just as happy to be a maid and an errand boy with no interaction whatsoever. "You mistake my coldness for meanness. It's not." The blond swallowed the rest of his wine and set the glass in the dishwasher carefully. "I simply do not trust you."

Leaning against the counter, he crossed his legs at the ankles and his arms over his chest. "You're crossing your signals. Either you want a friendship-faux or not-or you simply wish for someone to sit at your feet to allow you to pet them. They are not one in the same and I cannot play both at the same time, or even on alternating days. Pick a character for me-I will play it."
 
Matthew sipped on his wine when the words came and he had to wonder that himself. He had not physical attraction towards the blonde, as the other male wasnâ??t exactly his â??typeâ?? either. Sure, there were some traits there, as well as some beauty. But in the end, Charlieâ??s personality was bitter and closed minded. If this whole thing had been a date, he would have just dumped the blonde off at some random street and drove off as fast as he could. Sure, he didnâ??t think he could change the other maleâ??s personalityâ??that was preposterous and stupid of him to even think ofâ??but he knew that Charlie could act. The brunette didnâ??t care if this was real or not, as he would eventually find someone else to be with or find that a dog was worth it more.

The man had enough money for a chief and house service, so there was no need to compact these things. However, it was just easier to have one guy than many. It was almost entertaining how Charlie was putting up the lines almost as fast as he was trying to cross them. He moved towards the other male and leaned against the counter, just inches away. He had to contemplate about the â??cross signalingâ??, because really, he had thought that it could have been â??realâ?? if Charlie wasnâ??t so strong against just being relaxed about this stuff.

â??Well, why not someone who can just sit at my feet, let me pet them, talk with me without hostility and snippets? And while that someone whoâ??s doing his job, allow me to talk to him and wonder, because while his past is a big deal no matter what it was, itâ??s still just something to get to know someone who is possibly a future friend?â? he shrugged, picking the selfish reason and combining something of both. It was just like work, and sometimes, work took in personal life. Whether or not Charlie liked him by the end of the day? That was not a big deal for the brunette, but he would keep in mind to be friendly, because it wouldnâ??t hurt to be friends in the end.

[ooc; Sorry about vanishing. Ran into a bit of a problem. @.@]
 
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