Clyde coughed, almost choking on his food, His mind kept repeating the sentence Archer told him. Curiosity roamed as surprise slowly disappeared. He reached for the napkin and wiped his mouth to hide whatever expression he was making. He did not want to alarm him in any way. Honestly, if he was being slightly insulting, this is all Archer's fault. He can't just reveal his tragic backstory without raising a few red flags.

Talking about his stalker is not the perfect set-up for that.

He placed the napkin on the table. "I didn't know you were an orphan.."

Archer raised a brow. He was confused for a second. He doesn't hide the fact. All of his friends know it.  " I'm pretty sure I've told you this in one of our drinking sessions?"

"When did we have drinking sessions?" 

They never had a drinking session before. They have never done anything together. This is actually the first time the two of them hang out. Back at their apartment, they never watched tv and got drunk together. Even when eating dinner, Archer would eat in the living room while Clyde stayed in the dining room.

Archer nodded." Oh right. Yeah, I'm an orphan, never met my parents, run away from the orphanage when I was 12." He expounded deadpan. 

"If you don't mind me asking, Why did you run away?" Clyde was itching for more.  The man he came home to every day suddenly seemed like a stranger. In the end, he really did not know anything about him but his name and occupation. He felt the need to know more under the guise of him being his so-called boyfriend. 

"Showing interest, aren't we?" He cockily smiled and wriggled his eyebrows.

"Don't bother if you're going to be like that." With that, he lost all interest. He went back to eating his meal. It's not worth it. 

" Come on, can't even joke with you?" He softly laughed.

He paused. "Okay. I was a bit of a troublemaker back then, because of that, there aren't many people willing to adopt me. If they did, I'd be sent back a week later. In the end, no one could bear me. So you know, eventually I left. " He continued eating his food as if his story was light as a feather. 

Clyde felt uneasy. The way he said his story didn't sit well with him. He felt like a different person, He didn't feel like his idiotic, lazy roommate. He wondered what else happened during those years that lead him to speak of the past like this.

Archer glanced at Clyde after he took a sip of water. " What about you? What's your story?"

Clyde relaxed his shoulders. He stared at his salad. "Nothing much, I'm originally from a very small town, but I moved to the City during High School." 

"Why?"

He shrugged."There's no excitement in being a small-town policeman." 

"In a way, you ran away too?" He smirked.

"Definitely not." He laughed.  " I had to. Being one was my dream." His grandfather was a policeman in his hometown. There were no big crimes like murder or drug dealings. The worst that happened was someone broke in at their local corner store and stole cash. Everyone knew who everybody was and everyone liked his grandfather. They'd greet him with a smile, ask how his day has been, thank him for this and that-- and he wanted to be like that too. 

"Look at you, following dreams."

"I have no choice but to. I betted everything on this." He looked at his hands. He wished a glass of scotch was within his reach. A cold wave of water crashed his insides. He wanted warmth but not from anyone's touch. He needed numbness before he remembers everything he buried deep down. Turns out, there was a reason for his need to be liked by everyone.

Archer glanced, and he knew he stepped on a landmine. One that could detonate the moment he shifts his weight. Not everyone can tell their story without emotion like he does. He felt a lump stuck in his throat when he saw him like that. He wanted to comfort him, but he can't. Their fake relationship does not extend to providing comfort.

Clyde saw the troubled look on Archer's face. He immediately put on a fake smile. "I'm alright. Quit looking like an idiot."

If you're willing to put a fake smile on for me, then maybe our fake relationship does extend beyond providing comfort.

Archer pointed his spoon at him. "Don't smile, Clydeson. It's disgusting. Do what you want to do. Your sweet, handsome, trash as a human being roommate and fake lover is here for you."

"Thanks, but don't call me Clydeson."