Small Packages

[Jared Bell]

The day had started nicely; He had brought the mail out and then went for a run. He had come back covered in sweat and had gone for a shower. Now that he was back in his room he lit a cigarette by the window and began marking down what he needed for the end of the month. The one area of his life that was completely organized was his cash flow. He intended to be able to retire by 30. As soon as that was finished he flopped down in his bed and turned on some music. Lying there with his hands behind his head he sighed contentedly.

Living with Odion had its good moments and it’s bad ones. They always managed to get straight to the point and any problems were resolved easily. Jared had always appreciated that. He didn’t have to try to cover his tracks when an innocent walk on the town became a liquor fueled crime spree. Nor would he ever have to explain why everything he bought was paid for in cash.

Jared's smile faded when he heard the girlish scream coming from the kitchen. He could only assume that he would be summoned within the next ten seconds. He rolled over and turned off the music he had been listening to. Still dressed in the sweats and a black muscle shirt he had been wearing this morning he began to get himself up. As soon as he had sat up he heard his name yelled. He sauntered out of his room, stretching a bit as he walked to the kitchen. He already knew what to expect. He supposed there would be a bit of yelling. Whatever the problem was couldn’t be anything more than the usual routine of leaving his dirty dishes in the sink.

“What’s got your knickers all in a bunch?” He asked as he rounded the corner, a yawn leaking out of his mouth as he stared at his roommate. He had to admit, Odion looked a little more worked up than he usually would for a minor inconvenience. He walked to the fridge and grabbed an old Chinese takeout container. He grabbed a fork and leaned against the counter, raveling noodles around his fork while he waited to find out what this emergency meeting was all about. He had to think fast with Odion. That was one of the few people his usual silver tongue wouldn’t work on.

(Odi)

[Odion Martins]

Odion had spent the night somewhere other than his and Jared’s apartment, not that Jared asked a lot of questions, which Odion appreciated. The only time the brunet deemed it necessary to truly interfere with Odion’s life was when he was destroying himself – also something Odion appreciated. But what he wasn’t appreciating right now, was the fact that the letter he wrote to his family in Ireland was missing. He had left it on the kitchen table and it had disappeared.

Jared was in the shower (at least, that’s who Odion hoped would be in there), so Odion didn’t start panicking yet. Perhaps it had simply fallen to the floor, or he left it in a pocket. But after crawling around on the floor looking for said precious envelope, Odion could feel that familiar feeling of anxiety rise into his chest. He frantically searched his spotless room, and checked every pocket on every article of clothing he owned.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And so, Odion’s panic ended with a scream of frustration, his hands on his hips and he tried to recall what he did with the letter. His dark eyes roamed to Jared’s bedroom door. “Jared! I need to speak with you.” Odion closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. If Jared was behind this…

“Oh I don’t know, aren’t they always?” Odion replied, watching as Jared very casually helped himself to Odion’s leftovers. Normally he wouldn’t have cared so much, but right now Jared was annoying him. Maybe if he pretended to care at least a little bit. “Where’s the pile of mail that was on the kitchen table? There was a letter on the top… Addressed for Ireland?” Odion didn’t avoid sensitive topics around Jared, there was no point when the bloke knew so much already.

[Jared Bell]

Jared was showering, and this one would probably be awhile. He hadn’t taken the time to properly care for his basic needs in the past few days. He hummed softly to himself while he washed up. He thought he heard a few loud bangs from the apartment but he was sure it wasn’t a big deal. Odion was home and was more than capable of dealing with anything that would possibly come their way. “If it’s the girl scouts again I would like some cookies!” He shouted from the shower. Hopefully Odion could hear him over the sound of the shower.

He finished dressing and made his way to the kitchen. “I’ll clean them up in a few minutes!” He shouted down the hallway as he continued making his way to the kitchen. He had a to-do list for the day, and dishes had been a part of it. Odion would just have to accept that Jared had his own schedule planned out for the chores he had missed the previous night. “I’m bloody tired from my workout… try to take it easy this time.” He said as he walked past Odion into the kitchen.

“I suppose you’ve got a point there.” Jared said as he glanced at Odion over the top of the leftover container. He was completely oblivious to the fact that the food he was currently stuffing down his throat was Odion’s. He waited for Odion to get to it. He paused for a moment and said “The mail is in the mail. It was my turn to check it today.” At least he had been on top of some of his duties today. “You’re welcome by the way. I could have left your outgoing pile behind when I went this morning. Saved you a trip then, didn’t I?” He said. It was too early in the morning to be starting a fight.

As soon as the last noodles had been shoved into his mouth Jared tossed the container into the garbage. He was half listening still as he made his way back to the fridge and grabbed a beer. He had just taken a big swig from it when something made him spew it all over the counter top.

[Odion Martins]

Eyebrows furrowed, Odion felt a flash of rage run through his body. “No! It’s not the bloody girl scouts!” Jared and his obsession over sweets… It was really a shame Avi had to leave for school, she was the best baker Odion knew for miles around. But he had other problems at hand. Had he somehow misplaced it? He quickly reviewed his memories. No, he had definitely left that letter on this table. His dark blue eyes surveyed the clean table and wondered why Jared would decide to finally clean it now.

“It’s not always about dishes…” Odion mumbled to himself, arms crossed in front of him as Jared passed. He was cross, but he wasn’t going to maul Jared – it wouldn’t do any good. The redhead rolled his eyes and then started towards Jared. “Hey! You know that that’s…?” He shook his head, his hands splayed out in front of him as he shook them. “Never mind.” Odion sighed and Jared’s next words sunk deep into his mind. “What?! What do you mean the mail’s in the mail? And I didn’t need you to mail my letter, I have legs and they work just fine thanks.”

Running his hands through his hair again, Odion didn’t care that he was starting to look crazy while he paced. Maybe he already was. “I can’t believe this…” He glanced at Jared as a million thoughts ran through his mind, a helpless look on his face. All Odion could think to say was, “Those leftovers were from last week.” Jared didn’t seem to stomach the comment very well.

There had to be something he could do though. Rewind time perhaps? But then certain events wouldn’t happen while others would and Odion knew this wasn’t a life threatening situation, and he was trying to use his powers as little as possible these days. “Once you’re done spewing, you’re coming with me to that mailbox to fetch that letter. I wasn’t ready to send it.” Odion bit his lip, anger and fear fighting for first place on his emotional radar. “I mean, did you even bother to notice who it was addressed to? And don’t even say you didn’t think to look because it’s none of your business you nosy bastard.”