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Chapter 17

Daniel's P.O.V

"Can I just get two large gravy please?" Angelo asked the guy in the counter- who by then was annoyingly eye-raping my guy in front of me. I almost poked his eyes in the process if it wasn't for Angelo who was completely oblivious to what was happening.

Now, you might be thinking that Angelo and I are together. I hope so. In my dreams.

July has passed and we're on the month of August. Angelo and I had gotten a lot closer than before. Not that close as a lover can be but just like a best mate- just like Alex but different and just like Dianne and surprisingly Veronica but more. Angelo and Veronica had become part of our small group of three. Though, Veronica doesn't stay for long in Brisbane, we always ensure that we always have a bonding time whenever she had time to visit.

A month have passed and I learned a lot about Angelo; like he lives alone in an apartment, he loves skateboarding but he couldn't skate himself, he loves listening to solemn, pop and R&B music, he knows to play a lot of instrument including flute, piano, guitar, and saxophone; he loves to cook, and like right now, he loves KFC gravy poured in his rice for either lunch or dinner.

One thing he never mentioned about was his family. I didn't dare to ask as I wasn't in a position to budge in his life- at least not yet. One more thing I was scared to ask him was his eyes. I haven't seen it change for a while now because he has been wearing contacts most of the time. I never asked him about that either because maybe of the fear of him pushing me away. I could live on the status we were in right now.

All through the month, Angelo had known me pretty well too, though he wasn't the type of person who asked something unless I opened up a certain topic about my life. Usually, I'm the first one to tell about myself- one thing I told was about my daddy who died when I was a little boy. He seemed really sorry about it and I had to cheer him up as he was really upset by my story. That made me fall for him a lot more.

However, there was once certain thing I haven't mentioned to Angelo. It was about my son Jared- it isn't like I'm ashamed to let the world know that I have Jared as my son. Hell, I would pay the whole media around the world to broadcast that I'm a proud single dad to Jared if I could. But the fear of Jared being hurt and being rejected by Angelo has always been clouding my senses. And I for one, don't want to make a choice between the two of them if worse comes to worst. Another reason was that it seemed irrelevant whenever I try to tell him about Jared. It feels like we were always in the wrong place and at the wrong time

"You're thinking..." Angelo pulled me back from reality. He was enjoying his rice and gravy lunch as we seated on the table inside KFC booth.

"At least I know my brain is working." I smirked. He snorted and it was the cutest thing in the world as he was seriously indulging and savouring his lunch.

It's been a month since I planned on telling Angelo my feelings about him and my intentions. But being a stupid tongue tied handsome lad I am (cough!), I couldn't even start to build a sentence to tell the guy about my feelings. I always end up stuttering or someone would randomly budge in whenever I decided to tell it to him. I just couldn't seem to get a good time.

After finishing our lunch together, we walked out from the booth and decided to head to shopping centre. The afternoon class was cancelled and Alex had a date with her girlfriend Dianne. That left me and Angelo alone together, and I got a feeling that the two lovers had planned it well.

"I have to tell you something..."I told Angelo. He quirked his eyebrow in question. I sniggered and continued to walk. "I'll tell you on our way." He didn't argue and he followed me, catching up walking beside me.

While on our way, I saw Derek Munn with a group of massive guys, smoking on an empty sidewalk- and by the smell of smoke, I was sure they were smoking pot. Judging from their eyes, they are most likely on high.

Derek Munn had moved in to different university after the little incident when Veronica first visited Angelo. It was a one bloody scene to which Derek marched out defeated. That was the last day the entire university have seen Derek.

I got the feeling that Derek might blame Angelo for what happened and might hurt him. So before they happened to see us, I instinctively grabbed Angelo's arm gently and turned us around to opposite direction. But I was too late.

Angelo threw me a surprised looked while I was holding his arms.

"Well...well... Look what we got here." Derek and the guys started to circle around us.

"What's happening?" Angelo asked me, his tone was a bit scared.

"It's alright. I'm right here." I tried to flash a smile. I tried to convinced myself too that we were gonna be alright.

Derek stepped up a bit closer to Angelo, but I was fast as I blocked Angelo behind me. "Oh, a knight in shining armour eh?" Derek spat. The other five bulky high guys laughed and regarded Angelo with hungry sexual eyes.

"What do you want Derek." I said, though it was a question, I made sure that it'll sound like a statement.

Derek laughed like the evil clown, "Nothing, mate. Just wanna have some fun with that angel behind you." He eyed Angelo while licking his lips.

I was surprised when Angelo held my hand tightly and it felt really good. Adrenaline rushed through my body- I almost felt I was Superman. But I wasn't.

Derek and the other guys moved a step closer towards us. "Back off!" I warned. But the guys didn't even regard my warning and they continue to step more closely. I instinctively wrapped Angelo in my arms as the five bulky guys including Derek grabbed Angelo from me.

Angelo held out a surprised scream while the two bulky guys held him. He was about to scream 'help' but the guy on his left covered his mouth, while he was smelling him from his neck. I could see tears building up in his eyes and I couldn't do anything about it but to try to break from one of the bulky guy's grasped.

"Before we feast with this delicious angel here, we should get rid of his guard doh here." He glared at me and spat at my shoes. The guys were laughing and the others were eyeing Angelo hungrily.

"He looks hot too, can we take him as well?" the guy holding me asked.

"He's a garbage Victor. You wouldn't want to waste your time with him. Perhaps, you'll enjoy making him as your punching bag." Derek smirked.

The guys started to laugh again so evil just like the bad guys from the movie. And just like in the movie, the walkway seemed so deserted and not even a single person was walking to call for help. We are on our own and Angelo was about to get raped because of me.

Victor held my hands on my back so tight I thought they'll break. Just as then, Derek threw the first punch in my gut. The air sucked out through me as I cough so hard. Then the other two guys who were smirking all that time had joined Derek in punching me. They hit me on the gut, on the cheek, my lips were bleeding and so was my nose and right eyebrow. I stumbled down, blood all over my clothes while they continue enjoying kicking me.

I heard Angelo was screaming 'stop' and trying to break free while he was crying. All the other guys did was laughed and spat at me. I felt hopeless and useless. Angelo was I danger and I couldn't even help him.

From somewhere, I heard Derek speak. "Don't worry there babe. You'll be next. But instead of pain, we will give you pleasure." He said as he laughed.

"You'll regret this." Angelo said. I tried to look at him and tell him that everything was gonna be alright but who was I fooling. I was expecting to see a messed up Angelo but I was surprised, for there I saw a calm face Angelo with eyes so dark as if you've seen death.

The guys gasped in surprised, I hear Victor, the guy who was holding me before, asked, "Is he some kind of a demon?"

I heard the guys' footsteps backing away from Angelo. My sight was getting blurry and I knew that I was about to past out. I summon all my strength to stay awake and stay with Angelo.

"Sebastian!" Angelo screamed. I heard a single pair of footstep walking towards us. The guys were sounding agitated but didn't make a move. Just as when the single pair of footsteps stopped beside Angelo, he spoke again. "Teach them a lesson that they would never forget."

The last thing I remember was the guys were screaming in pain and other were trying to run away but ended up screaming.

Angelo scooped me and laid me on his lap while he was wiping the blood on my face. "We are safe now." He whispered.

That was the last words I remember after I passed out, leaving Angelo to the mysterious footsteps and thanking whoever it was for saving Angelo.

**************

I woke up from a sound of someone's hysteric laugh and the somehow it sounds familiar. I closed my eyes trying to remember who's that was just same as feeling some twitching pain in my lips. The laugh... I heard that before... it's coming from the television. Jared was watching it... the laugh was from...

"Spongebob Squarepants?" I asked to no one in particular as I slowly got up. "Where am I?" I whispered to myself. I tried to recall what had happened, then I felt the pain in my lips and my eyebrow stung.

I was in unfamiliar queen size bed in a room. The room was big enough to be occupied by two people; the walls were painted blue with lots of anime character posters on it. To my right side was a study table with lots of books and a lamp and a laptop, to my left was a bookcase full of book- the covers looked familiar.

I looked around the room but seen no one, however, there was a distinctive smell I love so much. So calming and loving. I sniffed around and sighed. Then took another big sniff..... Then I froze.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Angelo was standing in the door awkwardly. He had a smirked on the side of his face, his hair was wet and he changed into long necked pink jacket, and hell it looks really good on him.

I could feel my face turned red while facing him, brushing the back of my neck from embarrassment. "I...I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to..." I couldn't think of any excuse to say so I tried asking him instead. "What happened?"

Angelo marched inside the room and seated at the rolling chair parked in the study table. "You passed out after those crazy guys beat you up so bad." He said, tears started to form in his eyes.

I walked up to him and stooped down on my knees so he was in my level. "I'm fine now. You are alright, that's all that matters to me." I wiped the tears away from his brown eyes. He looked at me and I could feel the intense concern radiating from it.

He nodded softly.

I stood up and stretched. "How long was I out? Man, my whole body hurts," I complained.

He stifled a soft laugh. "Just 2 hours. Its 4:00 pm now."

He told me what happened just after I passed out. He told me that a friend helped him brought me to his apartment and tended my wounds and changed my bloody clothes to hooded warm blue jacket. I asked about the hoodlums who hurt us and he said that they have been taken care of.

I flinched from the pain in my gut but it was bearable.

"Are you sure you're okay? I'll get you a drink." He stood up and walked out of the room. I tried to call him back but he was fast.

I was scanning his room and my eyes ended up in the book shelves, and in the books piled up in it.

"Here..." he walked back in to the room with a glass of water at his hand. "Have a drink."

I turned around to face him. "You like these books?" I said, regarding the books on the bookshelf behind me.

"Yes. It's for children but I kinda enjoy reading it. I know it's a bit childish of me..." He blushed.

"Childish? Not at all." I smiled, wider than Mount Everest.

My hope grew massively just as I when saw the familiar books piled up in the bookshelf. The books were the complete Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the complete book of Chronicles of Narnia, Hunger Games series, Maze Runner series, Twilight Saga, and lots more books that have been made into film. But the one that caught my attention and made my hopes up was the first two book series. The books that my Jared loves me to read for him. Perhaps, he would love Jared and wouldn't reject him unlike my ex-girlfriends did. Perhaps, Angelo is different and that I strongly believe so.

"Those are my past time whenever I'm bored alone." He explained.

"Was that Spongebob Squarepants I heard from the T.V?" I asked the most stupid question in the world. Angelo blushed so red, this time he was the one brushing the back of his neck.

"Y-yes.."he stuttered, probably from embarrassment.

I walked closer to him. "Hey.." I lift up his face so I can see his eyes. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I actually find it cute."

He smiled a bit. That time, I decided to tell him my feelings for him. It's now or never situation; and I chose NOW.

"Angelo." I started. "I have to tell you something." I summoned all the courage as my heart pounded so hard I almost had a heart attack. And my gut was churning inside me, not because I was punched several times earlier but because of the butterflies erupting inside it.

Angelo waited on what I was about to say, he was looking at me confusingly.

"I...." there goes nothing.

"I..." say it now you dork!

"I like...." Angelo's expression changed from confuse to serious.

"I like you." I breathed out.

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