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Aspen pursed his lips, the large knife he grasped in his left hand hovering in midair over the chicken he had been about to butcher. He had to hand it to Leo; the kid could always pick the worst times to ask for help. Or maybe it was his own fault for not being able to say no to his darling boy. Sighing and setting the knife aside, he wiped away the perspiration that had formed on his brow from being in the cramped and heated kitchen area."Fine, but if you ever want dinner on the table you're gonna have to figure out how to do the work sooner or later!" he called back, wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing.

Shaking his head ruefully, Aspen made his way into the small living room where his boyfriend was seated, clutching Shakespeare in his hands, doing that adorable little pout that he wasn't even aware of. Aspen chuckled, resigned. It was official; he just couldn't say no to Leo. "Alright, smartass, what do you need help on?" he cooed, leaning over Leo's shoulder. He always called the object of his affection names; it was just one of his habits.

Aspen scowled playfully, ruffling Leo's hair. "Only cuss when you need to, idiot," he muttered, studying his boyfriend's math over his shoulder. He frowned slightly; surely Leo didn't need help with this. It was ludicrously easy. "You're such a child," Aspen murmured affectionately, placing his head on top of the others. Taking Leo's hand in his own, he tried to explain the algebraic equations the best he could; he sometimes got carried away and solved the problems himself (or tried to), so he wasn't always the best teacher.

Once he had done the best he could, Aspen seated himself in the battered chair beside Leo, ready to explain a step if needed. Out of habit he reached into his pocket for a cigarette, swiping a lighter off of the haphazard table. To his great disappointment, the packet was nearly empty; he'd have to buy some more soon. A weary look crossed Aspen's face, though he tried to make it indiscernible to Leo. It was getting harder and harder not to admit that he simply didn't have the funds for luxuries such as smoking anymore, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. He'd have to stop sooner or later just to put food on the table. Hell, even if Leo didn't know it, the meals they had been eating for the last 3 nights were leftovers.

Aspen lit the cigarette with a shaky hand, taking a long drag. The situation of money was getting out of hand; he didn't know where to turn anymore. He just couldn't bring himself to burden Leo with the thought of bankruptcy. The kid was already having enough trouble with college as it was. There must be some other methods of making quick money...

The older man fell into a worried silence, resting his head on his hand, rolling the cigarette between his lips. What to do, what to do...Sighing, he stood up slowly. "You got anything else you need help on or should I make sure we don't starve?" he said gruffly, blowing a thin cloud of smoke into the air and forcing a grin onto his face.

Aspen chuckled softly and ran a hand through Leo's hair once more. "Such a good kid. Don't mess with it," he added unhelpfully, noticing that the area around his boyfriend's lip had become red and irritated. With a quick "Love you" and a peck on the cheek, he retreated back to the cramped kitchen, snuffing out the used cigarette in the ash tray on the counter. Then, rubbing his hand together and grabbing the butcher knife off of the cutting block, he got to work.

Around 20 minutes later, the delicious aroma of chicken joined the cigarette smoke in the air. Aspen set the table and placed the half-eaten chicken in the middle. Like their recent meals, this one was also left overs, though the man tried to spice it up by pouring two glasses of cheap wine that a neighbor had given him. "Mm, eat up, love," Aspen said jovially, taking a sip of wine and smacking his lips. He rested his head on his hand and gazed at Leo with half closed eyes, what he would call a seductive face. However, though Aspen's hazel eyes were scrutinizing every inch of his darling boy's face, his mind was elsewhere, concentrating on the one thing he so dearly needed: money.

He supposed he could ask his work colleague , Tristan, about quick money making on the morrow. The man had the same salary he did but always seemed to have an abundance of cash. Aspen was quite sure that what the man did was shady, but in these times he had no where else to turn.

Aspen's expression immediately soured and he pursed his lips. While he respected Leo's wishes to support them, he just couldn't bring himself to borrow money from anyone, let alone his boyfriend's parents. Aspen and Leo's father didn't exactly get along well. Pleas for help on his part would be a certain deathwish, and it would wound him in spirit and pride to have Leo do the dirty work. So instead he shook his head and swirled the wine in his left hand.

"No, Leo," he refused flatly, taking a small sip of the alcohol. "I'm sorry, but that's something I'm just not going to do, even for you. And don't worry so much, I'm pulling money together. Hell, we'll be out of the rut soon." Aspen gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile and leaned forward in his seat. It was killing him to lie to Leo like that. Far from being out of the rut, the rent was due next week and Aspen didn't see how he was going to afford it on top of living comforts.

Trying not to let his anxieties reach his face, the man chuckled and finished his meager dinner. Standing up, he planted a kiss on Leonardo's forehand. "Get ready for sleep, will ya?" he murmured.

Aspen grinned resignedly. He loved this sweet kid so much it was unbearable. Leaning in closer till his face was mere inches from Leo's, he whispered softly in the other's ear: "Whatever happens, I promise I will be able to support you without help for the rest of your life. I promise." After giving the ear he was addressing a slight nibble, he tousled Leo's hair once more and retreated to the bedroom, yawning.

He barely changed into his sleeping clothes and brushed his teeth before collapsing onto the futon, sore muscles relaxing just slightly. Before long he drifted into a restless and dreamless sleep.