Blaize kept crying for the next couple of hours, the stress and tension of the day settling under his shoulders and his mind tried it's best to reconstruct his life from this point on. His father's disappearance was no longer a mystery, he had buried him, where exactly did he go from here?

When Blaize finally composed himself, he wiped away his own tears, drained and exhausted.
"..." Before he could really say anything, Mr. Foxworth appeared behind the door.
"Sir" The tone soft, "Would you like to have dinner ..."

"... Okay" He stood up, turning to Oliver, "You can join me if you want"

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Oliver did his best to console Blaize as he continued to cry. He wanted to offer Blaize all kinds of support. Ensure the man he loved that he wasn't alone and together they would get through it. For a brief moment Oliver wondered if Blaize would do the same for him, but at the end of his thought process it didn't matter. Oliver would easily do anything to ensure Blaize's happiness.

Hearing Mr. Foxworth's arrival, Oliver moved slightly away from Blaize and turned his attention to the older gentleman. As Blaize told him he could join him Oliver was slightly confused. Had Blaize expected him to leave? Should he have? Oliver was concerned he had over stayed his welcome at the Elliot estate.

"Okay," He managed to say as he followed Blaize out of the living room.

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Blaize was never talkative during meals, for all the times Oliver had had dinner at the Estate, but mostly Blaize was either preoccupied with the food or talking or a mix of both. Today, he toyed with the food, staring at his place and not making any effort to eat until Mr. Foxworth cleared his throat loudly.

"..." He managed a couple of mouthfuls, before getting up abruptly, "Look, I'm not hungry, I'm going to bed"

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The food smelled great and looked even better but like Bliaze, Oliver didn't have much of an appetite. He did however, eat more then Blaize did in general. Oliver wasn't weighed down with the same amount of stress which permitted him to actually engage in eating most of his meal.

Even as he ate, it wasn't hard to see that Blaize wasn't. Oliver's face turned drifted into a look of major concern that only went away once Blaize actually took a few bites. Grateful in that moment for Mr. Foxworth's attention to Blaize's well being.

However their silent meal didn't last long. Blaize rose up quickly from his seat, making Oliver do the same. He felt the urge to follow after him but stopped himself. Blaize didn't seem to want his company. Not that he could blame him, Oliver wasn't exactly the most engaging person to be around.

"Do you want me to go then?" Oliver asked, looking down for a moment.

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Blaize didn't reply, disappearing into the heart of the Estate as the servants cleared the table.

Mr. Foxworth watched Blaize walk away, and turned to Oliver.
"I would recommend following"

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Oliver watched him leave and felt a strong sensation of dread. For a second he was reminded of the moment just before he left Shoensha. A reminder he wasn't good enough to be around Blaize. Luckily those fears and anguished thoughts didn't last long as Mr. Foxworth interrupted Oliver's thinking.

Oliver nodded in understanding to what the older man said, before heading toward the doorway to follow after Blaize.

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Blaize threw his shirt onto a chair in his room, completely sick of all the horrible clothing he was wearing. He wanted nothing more than to set the clothing on fire, as though that would make him feel better.
He turned, stunned to see Oliver in front of him, taken aback by the fact the man had followed him.
"... I ... "

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"Can I stay here with you? I don't want to go home and I don't want you to be alone either," Oliver told him his voice soft but not weak, his words were chosen with care. Oliver wanted to make Blaize understand that he was there for him, through thick and thin, regardless of what they were to each other. He didn't move from where he stood, giving Blaize the chance to decline his offer.

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A look of rather sweet incomprehension followed, Blaize wreastled with what was being asked of him. Surely, that would be nothing? It was nice, someone wanted to be him when he was scatterbrained and stressed.

So why did it feel so out of character and odd.

Because it is. You fuck and you leave. Since when do people outright ask to stay around you

"... Okay ..."

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Oliver felt his heart hammer in his chest, not out of lust but out of love. Blaize was letting him stay, the earlier fear of being abandoned was pushed away for a different day. Oliver nodded before taking a moment to pull his shirt off as well, he attempted to fold it and placed on the seat of a nearby chair. He kicked off his dress shoes and socks before he tucked them under the chair. Turning to look at Blaize for a moment. He wanted to kiss him, as a way to remind Blaize of his love, but he stopped himself. He didn't think Blaize would appreciate such a gesture.

Instead he focused his hands to undo his pants and add them to his folded shirt before moving to sit on the bed, on top of the covers.

"Come lay down," Oliver asked him, tilting his head toward the empty space on the bed. There was a glimmer of confidence in Oliver. It came from finding a sense of purpose in offering some kind of help to Blaize. In the moment he wasn't afraid of being rejected by Blaize, which made it easier to be bold.

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"... In a minute" Blaize disappeared into the en-suite bathroom, the sound of running water coming from his desire to splash cold water on his face and through his hair.

Coming out, the ice-cold water didn't really do much to shake him out of his lethargic, self-loathing stupor. He discarded his own clothing, collapsing onto the bed and curling up.

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Oliver waited until Blaize joined him on the bed. The cold water droplet still clinging to Blaize's hair wetted the pillow, but Oliver didn't care. Instead he moved to lay on his side, not tucking close to Blaize, but he did reach out to place on Blaize. His thumb moved back and forth in a sort of soothing gesture.

"I have work tomorrow, so I'll be getting up early, but you should sleep in okay," Oliver whispered softly,

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"..." Something dawned on Blaize, bringing a small light to the back of his eyes
"... Shit, I need to go back to work as well, I completely forgot ..."

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Oliver wanted to point out that the university would understand why Blaize didn't show up, but Oliver had a feeling that getting back into work out help Blaize in the long run.

"Alright, go to sleep now, and in the morning I'll call a taxi to go back to my place and see you on campus later," Oliver told him, yawning slightly realizing just how tired he felt.

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Blaize had taken time off as he, realistically, had just come back to the country after his year-long break in Shenosha. He could, honestly, just take all the damn time off he wanted, but he should be courteous and go along. Plus, it would be a chance to defend Oliver if anyone wanted to take it out on him that Blaize took him away for a week-long holiday.

"Right" He didn't really have the stomach to say 'good night' but none the less, he quickly fell into deep, dark sleep ...

-

He was still asleep when Oliver woke up the next morning, but none the less, the servants had prepared breakfast for the pair of them and called Oliver a taxi, ready for the day.

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