"I didn't say you could leave" Spade's voice stopped Nate dead in his tracks, he let out a deep sigh before he slowly turned around, Spade had moved closer to him, standing just a few feet away from him.

"I didn't think you want me here, seeing as you told everyone to tell me that you weren't in" Nate almost spat out, but he still had to play it smooth and calm, Spade just looked at him blankly, blinking his eyes slowly as he watched every word pour out of his mouth. Spade's silence only made Nate feel like he had to speak up, at least he deserved that much privilege, and if he walked out of here without telling Spade what was on his mind, he might never get a chance again. "I don't think you know the true meaning of calling someone your friend, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve ghosting them, and avoiding them without giving them a reason" Nate rushed out, all in one breath, Spade still didn't react. With his hands still in his pocket, his face blank and his expression bored as if what Nate had just said didn't even matter to him.

"You're angry" he stated, his voice didn't sound accusatory or angry, it was very calm, too calm for Nate. Spade wanted to ask if he was jealous, something inside him was pushing him to ask that one question, to know the full extent to which his actions had affected Nate.

"I'm not" Nate muttered looking away, feeling his body heat up, hearing Spade say that to him had suddenly made all the anger he'd been feeling disappear, not that it wasn't there but it had reduced a great deal.

"You are" his voice had gone down an octave too low, he was now looking down at Nate, his eyes following Nate's every move, not even giving him a chance to feel his own heartbeat

"Why should I be"? Nate whispered, still trying not to look at Spade's face, thinking about it now, he had no right to be angry at Spade, the man had his own life to live, he didn't expect Spade to drop everything because of him. Maybe he was overreacting.

Spade let out a deep sigh before pulling his right hand from his pocket, he ran it through his face, before dropping it by his side. "You're right" this made Nate to look up at him, standing just a few inches away from Spade, the view Spade had of his eyes were captivating and tempting, making his mind dive into obscene things, he closed his eyes and opened it back, pushing the thought away from his mind. "I have been avoiding you" he added, Nate just blinked "but it's not what you think" Nate fought an eye roll at the lack excuse Spade had come up with "There's a lot going on that you don't understand Nate"

"There's always a lot going on that i don't seem to understand, that's why I ask questions, so I can at least have an idea of what's going on, you say we're friends, friends talk to each other, not push each other away" Nate muttered softly "You said you wanted us to start over become friends, but you're the one taking everything back ten steps behind, I know you don't keep friends, so I understand if you have no idea how to start"

Spade just stood watching Nate, his focus on his eyes and lips, the calm and gentleness in his eyes and the way each word touched Spade's deepest part of his soul. If he didn't feel bad before for avoiding Nate, the he felt like crap now, hearing Nate talk. "I know I have no right to get mad or question how you live your life, but if we really are friends like you say, then take this as a friendly advice" he paused gauging Spade's facial expression, to see if he was angry or irritated by what he was saying "You really need to stop pushing people away" he whispered before he turned around, wanting to walk out for the third time but this time Spade's hand shot out as he grabbed Nate by the elbow stopping him and turning Nate to face him

This startled Nate as he gasped out lowly, feeling Spade's grip on his elbow, not too tight, but he could still feel it. His shimmering eyes were the first thing that Spade saw before his eyes moved to Nate's lips. He didn't let go off him. "Let me make amends" he whispered almost breathless as his voice was low, and chilling, not the bad kind, but the sweet, stomach fluttery kind. "I know I was the one that said we should become friends and I was still the one to push you away, you are right, but I wanna make it right, and this time I mean it" he muttered as he saw the hesitation in Nate's eyes.

He knew Nate would never understand why he had to push him away, but Spade understood and as at that time when he made the decision it sounded right, and almost the solution to the conflict he was having with himself. But now seeing Nate here, and hearing him say all these things, it made him realize how ridiculous he must have acted by avoiding Nate.

He thought he was helping himself but he was only punishing himself. Why did he even think it was a good idea to push Nate away? It's not Nate's fault that he feels this way for him, the young man doesn't even know that Spade felt this way for him. "Let me make up for it, let me buy you dinner tomorrow night" he muttered, as Nate's eyes lifted to his, brown orbs meeting with grey soft and gentle ones "Before you say no, I also have a surprise for you, I was going to ask Matteo to give it to you but now I'm gonna do it myself, tomorrow night"

Nate swallowed, searching Spade's eyes to see if he was lying again, but he didn't find any hint of dishonesty in them. "Fine, just one dinner" he muttered and Spade nodded, his face showing a sign of smile etching on his lips

"Alright" he let go off Nate's elbow standing straight, his eyes fell on the piece of paper in Nate's hand "What's that"? He asked and Nate's eyes landed on the paper before he flipped it around

"It's um.. it's something I wanted to show you before but, I guess I'll just take it back and show it to Bernie"

This caught Spade's attention, the way Nate had used Bernie's name, it didn't sound strange or foreign coming from his lips, it sounded like something he was used to saying, he felt comfortable and relaxed talking about Bernie

Spade cocked his brows upward "you seen to have gotten acquainted to him"? He asked, watching Nate's facial expression, not that he didn't want Nate to get close to any of his men, but he wanted to be sure it wasn't anything other than work

Nate shrugged, missing the look Spade had on "He's okay, I mean he's not as bad as I thought" he muttered the last part to himself but Spade heard him, making him further cock his brows, his eyes glinting in amusement

"So you think he's bad"? He asked and Nate quickly realized that Spade had heard him, his eyes grew wide as he looked at Spade and quickly shook his head

"No, it's not that I think he's bad, I mean I thought.... No I didn't.. I just..." He rambled on until Spade's chuckle stopped him, the deep sound shaking him to his very core, he felt every cell in his body shake, as he felt his nerves suddenly ease themselves, the sound of Spade's chuckle had aroused something in him, making him drown in desire as he wanted to keep hearing that sound forever.

He looked up at Spade and Spade was already looking at him, his mind going back to how boring and quiet the past few days had been without the presence of Nate.

True he had avoided the young man to get himself back on track, to remind himself that feeling anything for anyone was a weakness, even after Matteo had tried to talk him into reconsidering, he was still sure that him staying away from Nate was best for both of them, but he was fucking wrong.

Thinking that if he stayed away from Nate it would make whatever he was feeling for the young man to go away, it only made it stronger, unlike before, now he wanted nothing more than to claim Nate right then and there, to tell him exactly how he felt inside, like a virus waiting to spread.

"What about me"? He muttered lowly, his voice shaking Nate's whole body, he felt all the blood rush to his groins, making the tightness in his pants become prominent

He parted his lip, as small air flew in through the tiny space in the middle "Huh" he muttered wordlessly

Cute, Spade couldn't help but feel his own heart swell with fondness, the more he looked at Nate, the stronger he felt the pull towards him

"What about me? Did you ever think I was bad"?

Nate realized what he was asking, he swallowed and let his tongue to caress the upper part of his inner lips, as if he was thirsty, Spade's eyes followed his the movement of his tongue, wishing he could let his own tongue to caress Nate's mouth like that, he wanted to know if Nate's lips tasted, exactly the way they looked, like strawberries, but with no sugar, natural like the taste of cold, chilled water. He could feel his own mouth water with desire, his mouth was lusting for a taste of Nate's lips.

"Do you mean bad as in evil, killing and mafia stuff, or bad as in.... You know" he muttered the last part out, feeling his face go hot, if he was looking at himself now, he'd be sure he'd turned into a very ripe almost busting tomato.

Spade smiled when he saw the pink that covered Nate's cheek. He bit his lips and let his teeth graze it until he let go off it. "As in what"? His voice had gone lower and it felt like he had leaned in closer to Nate, the young man didn't wanna look up at him, suddenly regretting why he had brought that up. He didn't even know where it came from, or why he'd suddenly brought that up in their conversation

He looked up, his eyes darting between Spade's grey inquisitive and teasing eyes to Spade's back, he couldn't maintain eye contact with the man for more than a second, not after he'd foolishly talked about, you-know-what.

"I.. I need to leave" he whispered, before he turned around, not giving Spade another chance to stop him, he scurried out of the room, stepping outside he tapped on his heart, clutching it from his chest, he rested his back on the door, slowly calming his breathing down.

That was not how he imagined his talk with Spade would go after four days away from the man. He cupped his own cheek, almost as if he could feel the hotness of his face in the palm of his hands. He blew out a heavy breath from his mouth.

He didn't even realize someone was watching him until they spoke "Are you okay"? Bernie's voice made him jolt and almost jump, he relaxed when he realized it was Bernie, he was looking at him with concern "You look a little bright there" he muttered with a slight calmness and laugh to his voice

Nate let out a sigh of relief, before he realized he was still clutching to his chest he quickly dropped his hands to his side "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm okay, just um..." He paused his eyes shifted to Spade's door before he looked back up at Bernie again "It's nothing, I was just coming to find you"

This kind of shifted Bernie's attention from his observation, to what Nate had just said "Really"? He asked his brows raising up in anticipation and interest "What's it"? He asked while he walked towards Nate, Nate slowly pulled up the piece of paper he had with him, turning both him and Bernie towards the makeshift office, which he totally forgot to ask Spade about, if he was the one that asked Bernie to give him that.

"I was going through the plans earlier on and I made a few observations and additions, I don't know if it'll be a good idea but I think, that empty conference room, the one you said was once used for meetings" Bernie looked at the paper and nodded, giving Nate the go ahead to continue explaining to him. "What if we were to turn it into a little strip room" he muttered the last part out, almost as if he didn't want to say it.

Bernie stopped for a while looking at him, as if actually considering the idea, he furrowed his brows while nodding his head slowly. True to what Spade had asked earlier on, he was getting well acquainted with the man. Maybe it was the color of his eyes, or the fact that his assumptions about him was wrong, but he was kind of enjoying working with Bernie.

"That's actually a good idea, you know there was a time Spade wanted to turn this whole place to a strip club, that should be about the time I just started working with him, I don't know what happened but he just decided not to"

Nate nodded "so that means if we do show him this he might not consider it"? Nate asked and Bernie just shook his head.

"No I don't think so, on the contrary I think he might, you never know" he added before he pushed the door to the makeshift office and he walked in first while Nate followed behind him.

He sat on the couch while Nate assumed the empty chair behind the desk He dropped the paper on the desk, his eyes dropped to Bernie as the man had suddenly started going through his phone, making a few humming sounds and furrowing his brows.

"Can I ask you a question" he blurted out before he could stop himself, making Bernie to sit up and face him, with his phone still in his hands, his attention was now on Nate

"Shoot"

He let out a deep breath, trying to word his question to Bernie, they weren't really friends, but they had established a work dynamic over the past 24 hours, and besides he just wanted to hear a third opinion on this thing he had going on with Spade, if it was anything at all.

"Let's say a friend asks you to dinner, like an apology dinner, and this said friend has been a jerk to you in the past, but they suddenly changed and want a second chance with you, they start acting nice and doing things for you, taking you out to see games, is it okay to let your guard down for them"

Bernie locked his phone and placed it on the couch beside him before focusing on Nate. "This friend, have you been involved with them before.... You know"? He asked making Nate's face to heat up as his cheeks tinted a dark shade of red, his mind going back to Spade and the possibility of them being together like that.

He shook his head quickly, letting Bernie know that it was a no. "Do you like them"? He asked and Nate froze, his mind being divided into so many places.

"I... I don't know, I mean ...." He paused letting out a sigh, before he shut his eyes and opened them again "I don't know" He really didn't know if it was okay to admit it out loud that he liked Spade, that would make it so real and that alone scared the crap out of him

"Have they ever asked you out to dinner before? As friends of course" Bernie pressed and Nate shook his head.

"No, just a game we went to see together, but that was it"

"So..." Bernie drawled out, his green eyes shining with a little mischief ".. you wanna know if it's a date or not, so you'll know what to expect"?

Nate blushed as he lowered his head, his eyes landing on his intertwined fingers on the table, before he looked up again and nodded.

"I can't say you can know that for sure now, but I have one thing to say, don't over think it, if it's a date, you'll know when you get there, or you can just ask them" Bernie finished, making Nate to slowly nod his head He didn't know what that mean, instead of helping him with the conflict he was having, it only heightened his anxiety.

"Thank you" he muttered, giving Bernie a small appreciative smile and the man just waved it off before going back to using his phone.

Ooh

Sweet 😜😜

Something freaky coming up soon Buckle up