Imperfect Desires

Looking at the beautiful cupcakes in his hand, Darren's mood was a bit complicated. It was the first time in his whole life that someone gave him desserts. Also, since Xiu offered these cupcakes to show her gratitude, it even made clear that she was really thankful to him.

"Daz! Why are you looking dazed?" Dylan chose this moment to enter the underground parking. "I asked those workers to do overnight work. Your place will be ready by the end of the weekend. Aren't I awesome?"

Dylan was trying to fish for some compliments from his best friend. Because when all's said and done, compliments were a luxury coming from Darren's mouth. He didn't criticize people often but he wasn't fond of praising people as well.

But when Darren didn't even pay any attention to Dylan, he was confused. "Oi!" Dylan called out again as he came near him. But as soon as he stepped closer, his eyes popped out of their sockets. Taking heavy steps in front of his car, he looked at the broken shards of the headlight. That dent and scratches... The more he looked, the more his heart got constricted. He felt his chest stuffy as he forgot to breathe.

"Ahhhh!" Dylan's shrilly scream jolted Darren awake as he turned his face and saw Dylan kneeling on the floor with his face buried in his hands. The way his shoulders were shaking, it seemed like he was crying. "My poor Black Widow is hurt. Oh my gosh! Who did this to you?"

Darren puffed out a breath as he rolled his eyes at his best friend. 'See. Isn't he a dramatic performer? He can put actors to shame with his over-acting!' Darren thought to himself while his face twitched in half chagrin and half joviality.

"Didi, who names their white sports car as Black Widow?" Darren couldn't help but ask since this 'Black Widow' was bugging him.

Dylan stopped whining for a second just to reply, "If your secretary's name can be Paige Turner then why can't my baby's name be Black Widow?"

"And your point is?" Darren had to hold in his laughter at the reminder of that 'Paige Turner'. Dylan had laughed his heart out that day when she was appointed. Apparently, he found her name rather... Funny and unique. But mostly, funny. He remembered how Dylan joked about her name saying, "Daz, she's a 'Paige' you have to 'Turn' in life. Dis you get it? Paige? Turn?" And then he laughed at on his own joke.

Coming back to the present...

"The point is my dear friend if parents don't think about logic while naming their children then why should I have a logic behind naming my favorite car after my favorite superhero?" Dylan was very possessive about his two things; His cars and his superheroes. His sadness suddenly took a turn and he looked livid as he stood up and asked, "Who did it? Who dared to touch my baby? I'll chop off the limbs of that person who dared to hurt my poor beauty."

Darren disregarded his dramatic show since he was getting bored. Or perhaps because he was never gonna tell him about Xiu. Knowing Dylan, he was certain that this best friend of his would definitely go looking for trouble.

"Does it matter? I'll pay for the repair cost. Stop your wailing, it's embarrassing." Darren said under his breath as he was looking at a family of four making their way out of their car. As the kids looked at Dylan weirdly, Darren shook his hands and made some distance between them saying, "I don't know him. Trust me, I don't."

Dylan's jaw dropped to the floor. Are you fucking kidding me? How can his best friend just do that? Being the childish person that he was, Dylan wrapped his arm around Darren's shoulder and said, "You can't get rid of me in this life. Stop trying."

Darren shook his head at his childishness and that's when Dylan noticed the box in Darren's hands. "Why do you have cupcakes? Who gave it to you?"

Darren shook him off of his body and hid his box of cupcakes behind his body. "Why does it concern you? This is the first time someone offered me dessert."

Dylan extended his hand and said, "Give it to me. You can't eat that. No one gives you sweets because no one wants to kill you. Now, give it here."

"No way!" Darren shook his head vigorously and resolutely.

"Daz! You're diabetic. Stop arguing." Dylan reminded him as if Darren didn't know it himself. All his life, he was reminded of his diabetes. Only he knew how hard this sugar-free life was.

"I keep my sugar level under control. And my doctor also said that I can consume a reasonable amount of sugar in a day." Darren repeated the words of his physician precisely.

"Those are chocolate cupcakes. That's definitely not a reasonable amount of sugar."

"So what? Each and every chunk of chocolate here is calling my name. I'll definitely eat this." Darren was also persistent. Would it be nice that he give Xiu's sincerity to Dylan just like that? Saying that he even picked up a cupcake and stuffed it into his mouth. Ultimately, he had no faith in Dylan.

And as the moist chocolate melted in his mouth, Darren was lost for words. He didn't have much experience with desserts but he could still claim that these were the best. And his words were proven when the desserts lover, Dylan Qiu himself moaned out, "This is super good. I've never tasted such a rich flavor of chocolate in cupcakes. And the buttercream frosting is to die for."

Darren didn't even know when he stole a cupcake from his box and when he did, he was glaring at Dylan resentfully. Dylan was oblivious to his best friend's rage as he still dared to say, "Give me another one."

"Never!" Darren replied plainly.

"Why not?"

"This was the compensation for damaging the car. She gave it to me."

"Yeah. But the car is mine. So, technically this should also be mine," said Dylan.

"Didi, the car is designed by me. Paid for by me. I just gifted it to you. So, don't argue since I'm also the one paying for the damages." Darren closed the lid of the box.

"Hey! I was also angry because you bought this car for me. You always say that I don't value the things that you give me."

"Well, do you?" Darren challenged back as he added, "If you did then you wouldn't have brought this flamboyant car here. Don't you know accidents happen?"

Darren stopped abruptly as he realized that he repeated Xiu's words. But then again, her words were correct.

Dylan was resentful but since Darren was the one who was going to pay for his car's repairing. He decided not to argue. But he was curious to know who managed to make Darren look so dazed.