*The Lang residence pictured above*

The Lang residence was located in a rather upscale part of the city, near a large and lavish city park just 2 blocks away from his home. It was a modern architectural design, with dark wooden and glass exterior, large windows to let in natural sunlight, and a large deck in the back where you can view the park from the comfort of the lounge chairs. It was 4 stories tall, with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.

Alan stared in awe as they drove into the long driveway. This made his own home pale in comparison.

"Welcome to my house..." Daniel stated with a small smile as he turned off the car engine, the doors unlocking automatically.

"You meant to say, your mansion..." Alan spoke, pushing his glasses back onto his nose slowly as he gazed up towards the home.

"This is far from a mansion." Daniel said with a laugh. "It just looks big. That's how my mom designed it."

"Your MOM?!" Alan exclaimed, looking at Daniel quickly as they exited the car. "Your mom designed this house?"

"Yeah, she's an architect. It's funny how this house was built..." Daniel replied as he walked towards the front entrance, Alan walking near him. "My dad tells me that she was incredibly picky with pre-built houses, always saying how they either lacked or had too much of something. So, in frustration, he told her to build her own. He wasn't expecting her to do it."

"That's both hilarious and amazing." Alan laughed as he watched Daniel enter a code onto the keypad to unlock the front door to the house. Once in, they both removed their shoes before crossing the foyer to the stairway.

"I'll show you to my room and then come back down to get some snacks and such." Daniel stated, motioning Alan to follow him up the stairs.

"So, what's it like living with an architect for a mom?" Alan asked, curious.

"Cool, honestly. She's a visual person, so when she sketches something based on what you tell her, it's amazing to see it all on paper, or on a computer. It was fun doing art projects with her as a kid." Daniel replied with a smile.

"I can imagine." Alan proclaimed with a smile of his own as they reached the third floor of the home, Daniel turning down a hallway towards a bedroom on the right at the end of the hall. Once inside, Alan couldn't help but just stand in the doorway and blink in amazement.

Daniel's room was large, about the size of a studio apartment, minus a kitchen and instead replaced with a walk-in closet. He had his own full bathroom and a sliding glass door that led to a covered balcony.

"Why are you just standing there, Moogle?" Daniel asked as he looked back at Alan in confusion.

"I'm not worthy..." Alan muttered to himself as he looked around the room in fascination.

"What?" Daniel asked, perplexed.

"It's nothing." Alan stated quickly, shaking his head as he finally walked inside. "Your room... is fucking massive. It's like an apartment."

"It's not that big..." Daniel stated with a sigh and slight roll of his eyes as he placed his book-bag down onto his bed, which was a queen sized bed, with a full sized couch placed directly at the end of it. He had a wall mounted TV with an entertainment center directly underneath it, with a coffee table separating the couch and TV. There was a full sized desk on the other side of the room near his bathroom and closet, with dual monitors setup. Speakers were mounted in corners of the bedroom walls, giving the impression of a fancy sound system.

"Feel free to sit anywhere." Daniel offered, as he removed his jacket and grabbed a hanger from his closet. "Is there anything in particular that you want? I can go grab it downstairs."

"Um... Sprite is fine, if you have it. If not, water is good." Alan answered, carefully taking a seat on the couch.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Daniel stated, before exiting the room.

Alan looked at every possible detail he could while he was sitting alone in the room. It began to sink in that he was actually sitting in Daniel Lang's bedroom. Never in a million years would he think that was possible. He was gazing at the pictures and framed posters on his wall, his clothes neatly hung in his walk-in closet, the cushions of his couch rather lush and comfortable, and then he caught sight of the bed. It took every ounce of composure he had to not throw himself onto the covers, burying his face in the pillows to get a scent of Daniel's shampoo, the warmth of his body. He outstretched a hand along the comforter, feeling the softness against his fingertips.

Feeling anxious, Alan got to his feet and began to walk around the room carefully. He looked at the pictures on Daniel's desk, seeing childhood images with family members and friends, him in soccer uniforms and at award ceremonies. Figures of video game characters and mind teasers sat on the desk. He then saw a bottle of what appeared to be cologne resting on a nightstand and he couldn't help but grab it, twist open the lid and smell it slowly.

Oh god... this is what he smells like. Alan thought to himself as he felt a small shiver run through him, looking at the label carefully to remember it the next time his mother and sister dragged him to the mall.

"Oh, did you find something interesting?"

Alan jumped in shock at the sound of Daniel's voice, like a startled cat. "OH shit!"

Daniel took a step back in surprise, having been holding two glasses in his hands, with a bag of popcorn tucked under his arm.

"You scared me..." Alan forced out as he looked at Daniel over his shoulder, quickly sitting the bottle back down onto the nightstand.

"Sorry about that. My mom tells me I walk too softly..." Daniel said with an apologetical smile. "You found my cologne?" He asked, curious.

Alan, feeling like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar, smiled nervously. "Um, yeah! I was curious about what you used. I'm not good at picking out cologne.." he quickly lied, his hands going into his pockets.

"Ah, I get it. I guess you really don't wear cologne, right?" Daniel asked, sitting the drinks down onto the coffee table.

"How can you tell?" Alan asked, surprised.

"You have a natural scent. It doesn't smell like it's being masked with something." Daniel admitted, placing the popcorn down as well.

"Are you... telling me I stink?" Alan asked, confused.

Daniel laughed loudly, shaking his head. "No, Moogle! I'm saying you don't use masked smells, so you just smell like your natural self. I mean, you obviously wear deodorant, but it's not overpowering, and your shampoo must be light on fragrance because I can barely smell it. So, I just... smell you, really."

"So... I don't stink." Alan confirmed with a grin.

"Yes... you don't stink." Daniel replied with a chuckle.

"Well... while I'm glad to know I don't stink, I still think it would be nice to wear something that will catch people's attention." Alan admitted.

"That's true. It's not bad to have cologne. Same could be said for clothes." Daniel stated. "So... what's making you want to really change up your look?

Alan shrugged slightly, his hands still in his pockets. "I don't know... I feel like I should try to make myself look more... interesting."

"Is this for your girlfriend or something?" Daniel asked, curious.

"Ah... about that..." Alan spoke, looking at Daniel nervously. "Nicolette isn't my girlfriend..."

"Oh, she isn't?" Daniel asked, surprised.

"Yeah... I actually don't have one..." Alan admitted, his eyes locked on Daniel carefully.

"You don't? Well, I wonder why Thomas told me that." Daniel stated, puzzled.

"Well... I can explain that..."

-

Well hello there, guys!

I'm so sorry for making you guys wait months for it to continue. But, my life got a bit rough after a while and I needed some time to recover. But, after having my birthday yesterday, I've been in great spirits and I'm hoping this stays for as long as possible.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and look out for the next one on Saturday, the 12th!

Until then!