| 🌻 |

"Ollie, baby! Wakey-wakey, my love! Your cousin will be here to fetch you any minute now!" Mara, Oliver's mother, bellowed from outside his room.

His son needed to get his butt off the bed because he and Bryce needed to prepare and attend the annual summer artwork exhibit. Her son's work was one of the pieces chosen for display.

She knows Oliver has been waiting for the opportunity to submit his painting so being late should not be tolerated for the main event.

"I'm awake, mom. Thank you! I love you," he answered from behind the door and Mara smiled.

"I love you more, baby. I need you downstairs in thirty," she reminded him affectionately and he heard his hum. She can already imagine his son's sleepy but grinning face. She respects his son's privacy, so she'd rather knock on his door than enter without permission.

The faint footsteps indicated that his mom already headed downstairs. With a large yawn, Oliver sat up from his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He grinned wide when he realized what today is.

With an upbeat hum, he cheerfully climbed off his bed, fixed his beddings, then stepped back to examine his work.

Yup. It's perfect. He giggled and grabbed Tie who was sitting beside his pillow. He hugged it tight and sighed wistfully. "It's a great day today, Tie. The organizer accepted my work, and I finally will be able to have my painting displayed in an exhibit. I still can't believe it," he shared with a tone of disbelief.

He gave a kiss on Tie's cheek before putting him back on his bed. He did ten jumping jacks and a few stretches before he headed to his study area. His room was huge enough for him, so he utilized the excess space.

In the middle of his room is a four-poster bed, and a bedside drawer where his alarm clock, his phone, and his glasses were placed. On his left is an open balcony with a table and a couch, where he usually studies while getting some fresh air. He also has an en-suite bathroom, and next to it is his dressing room.

He had a bookshelf on the right end of the room, where his books on art, astrology, and a few novels were displayed. He had also some of his paintings pinned on the wall, while his other works were proudly displayed by his father in the living room. It was still embarrassing, but when his parent's guests gasped and admired his works, his heart swells with pride.

His room has a rustic design, with warm colors splashed on the walls. He smiled when his eyes landed on their family portrait. His abuelito, Don Felipe Garcia, would fly here from Spain in a flash if he knew that his entry was accepted. Even his Grandpa Roman and Grandma Elizabeth would drop their work in England and fly here if they heard the good news.

He can't help the tingles of excitement that touched his fingertips. He just feels so happy and excited that nothing would be able to top it off.

He pulled the chair under his study desk and started to clean his messy area. His study area was littered with several sketches of someone that made his heart skip a beat a month ago.

He was heading to his favorite place; a park thirty minutes away from his home as usual to sketch subjects that caught his fancy. He sat down on a shed and was enjoying the feel of his drawing pencil against the soft and smooth sheet when he heard a voice. A baritone and sexy voice.

His eyes quickly scanned the area to find the owner of the voice that got his pulse racing and his lungs deflating. When he finally found the person in question, he dropped his sketchpad to the ground and hitched a breath. The stranger was five meters away from Oliver and was standing on the sidewalk with impatience.

Time stood still, the cheers and giggles of the children and their parents' reminders were tuned out; his full attention was on the dashing and captivating man in an expensive suit who was wrinkling his brows and gesturing his hand, seemingly annoyed with whoever it was he was speaking to on the phone.

Oliver's eyes openly sized the man's appearance. Broad and firm chest, a wide and muscled back, and his biceps bulging inside his suit, in a good way. He has long and toned legs, and when his eyes went back to the man's face, he was met by the man's green and fiery orbs that sparkled against the sunlight.

Oh my god. He saw me, Oliver mumbled in horror and embarrassment. His heart rate tripled and he started sweating profusely. He saw me looking. What if he thought I was a creep?

Oliver's heart almost stopped and his mouth dried up when the handsome man locked his eyes with him. Oliver's mouth parted in a gasp and swallowed his tongue, as he felt his heart in his throat.

His heartbeat was deafening, and he could feel the blood rushing to his face, making his cheeks beet-red. When he noticed the man shifting and narrowing his eyes to take a good look at him, he crouched and picked up his sketchpad, and escaped from the man's smoldering gaze.

With a hand over his heart, Oliver ran for his life. He has never felt something like that. Oliver stared at the sketches of the stranger he saw in the park. The man left a huge impression on him, and every single day, his crush on the man gets stronger.

It was his eyes, Oliver thought. There was something in his eyes that almost had him in place and commanded all of his senses.

Since that day, Oliver's twice-a-week visit to the park has become every other day. Even his cousin, Bryce, who was working part-time at a nearby coffee shop since it was still summer vacation, was becoming suspicious. He noticed the scrutinizing gaze Bryce threw at him every time he visited the shop disappointed and with slumped shoulders.

The entire family knows that he is gay, but Oliver won't be able to handle the teasing if they learned that he has a crush on somebody.

His dad, Izen, would throw a fit. Oliver knows his father can be overdramatic when it comes to matters of his love and relationships. Oliver is already twenty, but his father treats him like a five-year-old child.

However, Oliver hasn't been able to catch a glimpse of the handsome stranger since that day. It was disheartening for him, but maybe, they were not meant to be.

Oliver's eyes landed on the sketch of the handsome specimen and his fingers traced the sharp facial features. He is so handsome and intimidating. I wonder, how would it feel to have his fiery eyes on me? He would make an incredible daddy.

He immediately dismissed the thought. The stranger is like a Greek god incarnate. Surely, he has men and women worshipping the ground he walks on. If there's a sliver of a chance that he's gay and a daddy dom, he would surely not notice Oliver.

Oliver sighed when he felt a heaviness in his chest. Stop it, Ollie. This is just a crush. If you can't have him, then admire him from afar. Maybe, a few months from now, the yearning will fade.

Before he started to daydream again, because he does that when he stares at the stranger's sketches, he slapped his cheeks softly and began to clean up his messy desk.

When he caught a glimpse of his bedside clock, he groaned and moved in a flash. He wasted fifteen minutes daydreaming; his mother was getting more suspicious by the minute, because his daydreaming session became more frequent, and he was not ready for their teasing.

He stepped inside his dressing room and pulled on a white shirt, a pair of black pants, and some silk boxers. He threw it on his bed and took a bath in record time. When he remembered what was going to happen today, he smiled and squealed.

I can't wait, Oliver excitedly mumbled and continued to wash his body.

*****

Stefan sighed in exasperation and glared at his phone. His mother, Anna, has been pestering him to attend an art exhibit as her proxy. Unfortunately, his mother decided to ditch the event because his father, Lucas, was arriving from his three-day business trip in Greece.

That's the situation, Stefan. Your father will be arriving today, and I miss my darling. Anyway, don't disappoint me, or you will be forced to have another blind date with one of the daughters of my clients.

The threat was enough to shut him up and obey his mother against his better judgment. He knows his mother. It was not an empty threat. Once, he disobeyed his mother and did not take her words seriously. The next day, he was welcomed by the news of him dating some unknown woman.

He is gay, for fuck's sake! His mother knew that, but she loves pushing his buttons and teasing him. He's even wondering why she's so fixated on him when he has two older brothers to mess with.

With a deep sigh, he grabbed his phone and dialed Trevor's number, his friend and bodyguard.

"We're leaving. I'll be down in five." Trevor hummed on the other line and he ended the call. He loosened his tie and made sure that everything is in place before informing his secretary to cancel his appointments.

His secretary nodded and will call him if there was an emergency. He nodded at the employees who greeted him along the way and headed for his private elevator. He pushed the button for the basement and when he stepped out, he saw Trevor waving at him.

"Your mom again, huh?" Trevor guessed with a lift of his eyebrow and his frustrated groan answered his question.

He stepped inside the car and sat in the backseat and removed his tie and jacket. He popped off two buttons from his dark shirt and rolled the sleeves up his elbow. "We're going to the Annual Summer Artwork Exhibit in California. Mom's orders or I will be dead."

He leaned against his seat defeatedly and Trevor snickered. "You need to go, man. We don't want a repeat of what happened a month ago. You? Having a girlfriend? Talk about hilarious!" Trevor laughed and revved up the engine.

He rolled his eyes and trained his attention outside the window. He was leisurely taking a walk in a nearby park after a stressful meeting with a client when Trevor called him that there was news about him having a girlfriend.

When he checked the internet, he groaned and cursed out loud when he discovered that a woman he didn't even know was reported to be his girlfriend.

Mom, Stefan frustratedly thought. He was asked yesterday by his mom to attend the birthday of one of her business partners but being the rebel son, he ditched the event and the result was this scandal.

He immediately dialed his mother's number and after three rings, she picked up. "Mom. Seriously? What the fuck! I'm gay!" He half-screamed because he doesn't want to yell profanities at a children's park.

"Your words, Stefan Alexandrei. You could have prevented this if you listened to me, son. I'm not forcing you to date women. I was just asking a favor because it was my date night with your father. You almost ruined it," his mom attacked his conscience but he knew better.

He heaved a sigh and massaged his temples. "Mom, every night is a date night with dad," he answered in exasperation, and his mother giggled like a lovesick teen.

"I know right!" She giggled again and he stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He's stressed as it is, and it seemed that his mother sensed it. "Alright, I'll ask the press to stop the publication of your engagement--"

I waved my hand wildly and hissed. "Mom! Engagement? Really?" Stefan heard his mom giggle and he groaned exasperatedly. His mother was having the time of her life by messing with him.

"I kid, son. I'll take care of it--" He was not able to hear his mother's words when he felt a hard stare on his back. He thought that it must have been the paparazzi, but his eyes locked with a brown-eyed beauty.

The beauty was staring at him incredulously. He has a fair complexion and brown curls that made his eyes pop. When Stefan squinted his eyes to have a good look at him, the beauty bent down and ran away, a sketchpad on his chest. His attention was fixed on the beauty until he could no longer see his small and delicate back.

He lets go of the breath he didn't know he was holding and everything went back to normal. He can hear the voices of the children and the creaking sound of the swings again. Time started moving and the world began to spin again.

"--Stefan. Are you listening, son?" His mother called his attention from the other line and before she could ask again, he said his goodbyes and ended the call.

He helplessly clutched his chest and swallowed. Fuck. Who is he? He was beginning to panic. This was the first time he reacted that way. This was the first time his heart slammed so hard, he was beginning to get dizzy. He was enraptured and captivated by the beauty's wide-eyed gaze and flushed cheeks.

He clenched his jaw and filled his lungs with air when his pants tightened. Fuck it. I'll find you soon, baby. Wait for me.

Well, that's what he promised himself but he was preoccupied with so many meetings and reports the past month. He wanted to visit the park to check if the brown-eyed beauty was still there, but the location was out of the way and he had no time.

He was supposed to let it go just like any other time he was attracted to other boys, but he wasn't able to do so because he haunts his day and night. When his mind is not busy with work, the beauty's gorgeous eyes would flash inside his mind.

The beauty would be perfect. He'd be perfect as my baby boy.

He let out another sigh. After a few minutes, they arrived at the exhibit venue. The area was lively and vibrant. Excited artists with their friends and families entered the hall. Sounds of excited chatters and cheerful giggles can be heard.

Stefan expelled a loud breath and stepped inside, only to bump into someone. The boy almost dropped to the floor had he not caught him by the waist. He frowned and was about to tell him off when his eyes landed on his hazel orbs. Stefan's heart stopped pumping when he realized the person inside his arms.

Oliver's eyes widened when he realized the person he bumped into. He was rushing because he was five minutes late, thanks to his daydreaming session earlier. Thankfully, his painting was delivered yesterday, so no harm was done.

His breathing stopped and grabbed onto the man's forearms to steady his balance. Oh my Lord. His heart rate picked up and cold sweat pooled on his back when he realized that the object of his affection was holding him by the waist.

Oliver slightly shivered when he got a whiff of his intoxicating scent, turning his brain cells to mush. He swallowed several times and tried to stand up straight, but his knees were weak so he slipped and fell into the man's torso with a yelp.

Stefan wrapped his arms carefully around the boy and swore inwardly. He can smell the boy's addicting scent, and his soft body flushed against his was such a wonderful feeling. Stefan wanted to carry the gorgeous boy in his arms and bury his face in the crook of his neck deliciously exposed by the boy's white shirt.

Oliver gasped and his hands clutched the man's shirt, and his body trembled when the man's arms encircled his torso. A shiver was sent through his spine when that electrifying sensation was delivered through the man's hold.

He feels so safe. I want to bask in the security of his arms, Oliver thought. However, that wish was immediately denied when he heard his cousin's voice.

"Oliver! Are you alright?" A man almost Oliver's age approached them, with heaving pants. "I was looking for you," the boy added and he heard a small whimper when he let go of Oliver.

Stefan's chest tightened when Oliver got pulled away from his grasp. The boy who was with Oliver looked at him and smiled a little. "We're sorry for that. My name is Bryce, and this is my cousin, Oliver Pines. His painting will be displayed for this year's exhibit." Bryce happily added and turned his attention to Oliver who was shifting uncomfortably at the attention.

"What happened, Ollie? Are you hurt? Bruises? Scratches? Grazes?" Bryce examined his body and Oliver wanted the ground to swallow him at that very moment. Bryce is acting like Izen, treating him like a child. It does not help that the handsome stranger was staring at him intently.

"I'm okay, no harm done," Oliver answered his cousin in a small voice and gave Bryce a brief review of what happened. Bryce nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

Oliver turned to the man and bravely looked up, only to hitch a breath when the man's intense green eyes locked with his. Oliver chewed his lips nervously and played with his fingers, and cast a downward gaze

What should I do? I want to apologize, but I get tongue-tied and my mind goes blank. I mean, the man is my huge crush! I was daydreaming about him earlier, and now he's in front of me? Is fate playing with me?

Oliver was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the amused look in Stefan's eyes. He was incredibly amused by Oliver's adorable gestures. When Stefan's eyes transferred to Oliver's red lips being abused by his teeth, Stefan averted his eyes and gulped hard.

Fuck. I want to be the one doing those things to his plump lips, Stefan thought and popped another button when he felt hot. Imagining Oliver underneath him, moaning and writhing from his ministrations was enough to get him hot and bothered.

The organizer announced that the program will start in three minutes, so Oliver and Bryce needed to go inside. Before they left, Oliver gathered enough courage and touched the man's hand. He used the man's toned forearms as support and on tiptoes, kissed the man's cheeks.

"I'm sorry and thank you. See you," Oliver mumbled shyly and dragged his smirking cousin away from the man. Oliver's stomach fluttered and his heartbeat still raced, as his mind replayed what he did over and over.

Oh my goodness! I kissed him! I kissed him! Oliver wanted to squeal but settled on a wide grin that he can no longer contain. I take it back. Meeting the handsome stranger made this day the greatest day ever.

Stefan remained frozen in his position, not until Trevor elbowed his side; his friend had a teasing smirk on his lips. He clucked his tongue and glared at his friend, but the irritation dissipated when he remembered that Oliver kissed him.

It was just a kiss on the cheeks, but it was enough to awaken every dormant cell in his body. Stefan can still feel his heart pumping wildly, along with the ringing in his ears. He swallowed again and a smirk left his lips.

Oliver. Wait for me. I will make you mine.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

What if Ollie and Stefan met under a different set of circumstances? This is how I imagine their first meeting (officially) will take place. Did you enjoy it? 😍😶