The Code of Aries ?

(44) Don't Be Rude

"Nice to meet you, Sunday. And, of course, happy birthday," Iñigo then says as he shows me his hand to shake it.

I stare at his hand and decide not to take it instead. Everyone instantly becomes awkward after that, and they probably thought I was being rude, even though I actually was. But thankfully Jack was there to the rescue.

"Dom, you okay? Looks like you got starstruck. This is Iñigo, the guy we mentioned to you before. He just got back from Japan so he's oozing with charisma right now. Don't worry, he doesn't bite...most of the time," Jack says before turning to Iñigo next. "And you, don't go hitting on him. You know the rules here. We don't involve ourselves with relationship drama. This guy is in a very serious relationship, so he's off limits."

"Really now?" Iñigo asks, looking back at me again with those eyes that he had yesterday. Those eyes that looked down on me, almost like he was certain that I'm not a threat to him at all.

"Anyway, it's already 6:00 PM. Everyone get ready so we can open the bar. Chop-chop," Madam Scarlet then says, and everyone immediately went back to their work so they can prepare for the opening later.

I quickly turn away from Iñigo so I don't have to interact with him. But as I got to the backstage where the lockers are, Iñigo enters the room too with Willow and Jack.

Of course, he's a table employee too. He just has to be.

"Yeah, we had sex all night, but it was too boring. I had to make excuses and told him I had something to do, but the truth is I just wanted to get out of there," I overhear Iñigo say as I put my things inside the locker.

"Oh, Dom, you're here," Willow then says when the three of them approach the lockers too. "Perfect timing. Madam Scarlet told me to prepare a different suit for you since it's your birthday. Let me help you get ready."

"You know, how about I do it instead?" Iñigo then suggests, surprising me. "I want to get to know our new member more, so I think this is a great opportunity."

"Really? Then his suit is near the vanity. The one with the silver hanger," Willow then explains as he and Jack left to prepare for their own clothes for tonight's gig.

What is this bastard thinking now?

"Dom, right? Come on, let me help you with your clothes," Iñigo says as he walks towards the area where all the costumes can be found. I honestly didn't want to come with him, but I also didn't want to be considered a bitch either, so with a heavy heart, I followed him there.

"You know, you're younger than I thought. When Michael and the others told me about you, I thought you were a little older, but I guess this line of work is easy money for someone with a face like yours, so I don't blame you for trying this out," Iñigo explains as he grabs the suit that the others prepared for me.

Iñigo pulls the suit out from the bag. It was a red suit that didn't have a white shirt inside. Iñigo stares at it for a while before turning to me and staring at me again. "Guess this is fine," he says. "Now just take your clothes off so I can—"

"What the fuck's your problem?" I finally ask, and the smug look on Iñigo's face instantly changes into a much more serious one.

The two of us were quiet, but after a while, Iñigo sighs and brushes his hair back with his fingers like he was annoyed. "Well, what a shame. And here I thought you were gonna pretend like you don't know who I am. I was honestly going to do the same, but now that you're being so direct, then I guess it's fine."

Iñigo pulls a flask from his pocket and takes a sip of it before taking a seat. "I never thought Aries would actually settle with someone else. To be honest, he was so innocent when he first visited the bar. He was timid and unsure, but after a while, he was able to express himself better. I guess you should thank me for that, and for the sex too. I thought him everything I know. I was—"

"Shut the fuck up," I quickly say, trying to hold myself back so I don't end up throwing a punch at him. "Don't fucking talk about Aries like that."

"Like what?" Iñigo asks back even though I knew that he perfectly understood what I meant. "I'm just being honest. Besides, I know Aries better than anyone. And, not to be rude to you or anything, but I still am very much in love with him. That's why I went to their house yesterday. I wanted to explain that I broke up with him because I was scared. At that time I was also heading to Japan, so I didn't want him to wait for me."

"You've got some nerve to say such a thing," I tell him, remembering the fear in Aries's eyes when we encountered him yesterday. "You know Aries better? Don't fuck with me. You don't know him at all."

"Why, do you? Aries is secretive, but he's clingy, and you'll eventually get tired of that. No one else can handle him but me. He'll eventually get tired of you too because he likes it when the relationship is thrilling and wild. If I were you, I'd break up with him now before he breaks up with me first. It's less painful that way, " Iñigo says, and I finally lost control as I grab him by the collar, forcing him to stand from his seat so he can properly face me.

He drops his flask on the floor and tries pulling my hand away from him, but he couldn't. Looks like those big muscles are all for show. My father forced me to do boxing when he found out I was gay because he thought it would straighten me up. It obviously did nothing, but I still learned a life skill so I guess it wasn't worthless after all.

"Grabbing the senior you just met? That's a bit rude of you, Dom," Iñigo says, obviously trying to make light of this situation,

"I'm only holding myself back because I promised Aries that I won't waste my time with a scum like you. But if you ever mention his name here again, and if you ever approach him again, I'm gonna show you how rude I can really be."

I stare back at him straight in his eyes before finally letting go of his collar. I then grab my suit and walk towards the door to take my leave. But just as I'm about to turn the doorknob, Iñigo stops me and says, "Aries doesn't need a kid like you. He needs someone who's mature. Someone who can properly take care of him."

"And you think you're that someone? Don't be so full of yourself."

"Has he ever said 'I love you' to you before?" He then asks, and that particular question pissed me off because I wasn't able to give an immediate answer to it, and because of that, a stupid grin appeared on Iñigo's face again, almost like he was telling me that he won.

"You might have become everyone's favorite in this bar, and you might have gotten Aries, but you're not gonna last long. You're only gonna get hurt, Dom. Don't say I didn't warn you," Iñigo says as I finally open the door.

"You know what our biggest difference is, Iñigo? I trust Aries. You can talk all you want and tell me how you've known him longer than I did, but at the end of the day, I'm the one he chose, not you. So go ahead and fucking suck that," I angrily say as I finally walk out of the door, trying my best not to show that asshole that I'm not affected by him at all.

If he wants to challenge me then bring it on.

If he thinks I'm gonna back out then he's dead wrong.

If he thinks I'm a kid then I'll show him childish.

And if he's going low, then I'm going lower.

The universe is vast, but it still made a path for me and Aries to meet. If Iñigo believes that he can just barge in and ruin the perfect path that's been laid out for us, then I'll do everything I can to make him realize how blinding the sun can really be.

end.