#mateo oc

‘Great, I hope nothing bad will happen.’

They roll down the window. 

“Hey, sweetheart, are you okay? Do you know where you are?” He asks you. 

You ignore them, hoping that they will leave you alone. They coast the car beside you. 

“I know you don't want to be here, kid. I can take you back to a better neighborhood.” He continues. 

You continue walking, ignoring them. You know that you can't trust anyone here. 

Ahead of you, a group of people starts swarming a house. They are in the yard, shouting at the people inside. They threaten each other, the threats getting worse by the second. You slow your steps, not wanting to walk past them with this car following you. 

“Sweetheart, things can go really south with this fight. I know you don't trust me, but you need to get out of here. Let me bring you to a public place, I'll take you to McDonald's or something.” He says, slowing the car down with you.

A couple of loud pops come from ahead of you. Before you can even think about what you are doing, you are in the back of their car. He reverses the car, pulling away from the house. A few moments pass before anything is said. 

“Sorry, you had to see that. I'm Mateo, by the way. I'll take you to the McDonald's nearby. It will be a few minutes.” 

You let a few moments pass, thinking about what just happened. You now smell the earthy, floral smell that lingers in the car. It isn’t overwhelming, it’s just there. 

“I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to be worried about that.” Mateo continues trying to comfort you. He knows it isn’t reassuring, but wishes it were. 

At this point, you realize that you haven’t said anything to this guy, yet you are in his car. You introduce yourself and thank him for helping you out. Like he said before, he takes you to McDonald’s. He parks the car in a parking space and turns off the car. 

“Would you like to get some food with me? I know McDonald’s isn’t the best, but it’s food. I can take you somewhere else if you would like. I think you should get something in your system. You look shook up.”

“Yeah, no, it’s fine here. We can eat inside.” You say, causing both of you to get out of the car. You finally get a better look at him. He’s of average height, has light brown skin, brown hair, and eyes. Both of you head inside, and he opens the door for you. You order your meal, and he orders his. You sit at the table together when you get the food. 

“So I have to ask, what were you doing in that neighborhood?” He takes a bite of his burger after he’s done talking. 

“I was lost, I was walking to my place, and I accidentally took a wrong turn.” 

Taking a couple of bites of food and being able to think properly, you think about what he was going there for. 

“I see, I was just meeting up with a buddy of mine. I was trying to buy some weed from him. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have ever gone to that neighborhood. But I am glad I ran into you there. Please don’t go there again.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing that.” You laugh at the idea of being there again. One time was enough for you. You watch him pull out a pen from his pocket and write numbers on a napkin.

“Happy to hear that, sweetheart. But seriously, if you ever get into a situation like that, you can call me.” He says, sliding the napkin to you. You take the napkin, looking at the numbers. His handwriting is a little rough, but still readable. 

“Thanks, hopefully I will never get into something like that again. Sorry, I was rude to you when you first talked to me.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you got in the car so I could get you out of there.” 

Finishing your meal, you think it is time to head home. Today has been a long day for you, and you just wish to be home now. Mateo offers you a ride home, but you don’t accept because you feel like he’s done enough. You take an Uber home instead, and he waits with you, smoking a blunt. Once the Uber arrives, he hugs you and tells you to take care of yourself.  

What you don’t notice is that the same car that took you to the restaurant follows you home. It keeps a distance, but stays close. After you leave the Uber, it stays around for a while, just making sure you are okay. 

The next day, you have no reason to go out of the house, so you stay home. You spend the day doing whatever you like, since you have no chores left. In the first part of your day, you spend playing games. You get so focused on your progress that you don’t hear the knocks at your door. 

After you feel like you played too many games, you decide it’s time to eat. You order your favorite meal on DoorDash and wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, you set up what you want to watch while you eat. 

Deciding what to watch, you think about Mateo. You feel like you should text him thanks again, but you don’t want to bother him. So you leave it at that, and look at memes till your phone tells you the food is here. 

You feel the buzz of your phone and look at the notification. Sure enough, it is here. You make sure that the driver has left before you go to grab the food. Once you know they are gone, you open the front door. You see two bags instead of one. You think that maybe the driver left a different order with you, but you don’t see any receipt on the bag. 

You bring both bags in with you, setting down the food where you plan to eat. You are curious about the mystery bag, so you open it first. In it, a stuffed dog with spots is surrounded by snacks. The dog takes most of the room, so the snacks are squished a little. 

You take out the dog, looking at it. It looks like nothing out of the ordinary, just your everyday stuffed animal. You think it is strange that it has a faint, earthy, floral smell. It could have been in the gardening section of a store for a while. It does still have the tags on it. 

You put down the dog and look at the snacks. There’s a good portion of the snacks you like there. You don’t know where they came from, so it’s not the smartest idea to keep them. You hate being wasteful, so you’d hate to get rid of them. You keep them in their bag, and let the dog be free. You don’t see any harm in the dog being around, you just want to wash it first. You put it with your laundry and get back to your food. 

What you don't know is that there's a familiar car outside, watching your reaction through your windows. They have been there for a while, just wanting to know you.

A few days pass, and you begin to forget how you got the dog, and how it used to smell different. After it gets washed, it spends its time on your bed. You think about the situation you were in before. You think about the gunshots that followed the threats. You hope that no one got hurt, but you know what someone probably did. You haven’t really processed what happened that night. You try not to think about it, but just like Mateo, it lingers in your mind. 

You keep thinking about texting him, but you back out in the end. This time, you feel confident enough to text him. You pull your phone out, looking at the number you have saved.  

Hey, I ran into you about a week ago now, and I just wanted to tell you thanks for helping me out again. I don’t need any help, just wanted to say that. 

You put your phone down, scared of the message you might receive soon. Before you can walk away from it, you hear your phone buzz. Picking it back up, you see a message from Mateo.

Mateo: Hey there, sweetheart. No need to thank me again. You don’t only need to text me if you need help. I don’t mind chatting with you. :)

You laugh at the nervousness that you have been feeling for the past days. You could have been texting him this whole time. 

I’m still somewhat new to the area, so it wouldn’t hurt to know someone in the area.

Mateo: That explains it. I knew you were lost, but I didn’t guess that you weren’t from here. 

Yep, moved here about a year ago. I know the main parts of the city, but obviously not all areas. 

You put your phone down and walk away. You feel like you are telling him too much information. You have just met him and you don’t know anything about him. 

‘He could be crazy or something. But if he was crazy or wanted to hurt me, he would have when we met.’ 

Your thoughts counteract each other. But it is true, something would have happened that night if it were true. 

You hear the notification hit your phone. Walking to where you left it, you see another message from Mateo. 

Mateo: Aaaah, I’ve lived here all my life, so I know the ins and outs of the city. Most of the city should be safe. Just let me know if you ever need help. I don’t mind at all. 

You text Mateo back, thinking about how nice he has been to you since you met him. He’s old enough to be your dad. Heck, you feel like he’s acted protectively like one. He’s adamant that you are in a safe place and that he will help you if needed. 

You and Mateo have been texting consistently for a couple of days now. He likes hearing how your day is going and if you are home. He doesn’t act controlling. He just likes knowing what you are up to. 

Mateo: How are you doing today, sweetheart?

Today wasn’t the best day ever. You just got home from a stressful day, and all you want to do is sleep. Your sleep hasn’t been the best either. You’ve been having nightmares about the day you met Mateo.

Today was a bit stressful, but I’m home now, so I don’t have to deal with it anymore. I think I might go to sleep earlier tonight. I feel quite tired. 

You know that he’ll be upset to hear that you aren’t doing well, but you don’t like lying to him. 

Mateo: Aaaah, kid, I’m sorry. Would you like me to bring you anything? I don’t mind picking anything up. 

I’m okay, just going to have some dinner here and then go to sleep. Wish me luck.

You told Mateo about the nightmares you've been having. You didn’t know who else to talk to about them, so you told him. He’s heartbroken that you have been terrorized by them ever since you told him. He wishes there were a way he could take them away. He offered to smoke with you, in hopes that the nightmares would go away, but you turned down the offer.

Mateo: I’m here if you ever need me. I’ll be up tonight. Feel free to call me, it’s no problem.

Mateo: Don’t forget about your tea before you fall asleep. 

You look around your kitchen for the sleepy-time tea you’ve had on hand. You feel like it’s helping you a little with the nightmares. When you finally find the box, you are upset to see that you ran out. You thought you at least had one more left.

Yeah, about to make some. Thanks for reminding me. 

As you send the message, you throw the box away. You didn't want to lie to him, but you knew that he would go out and buy it if you told him the truth. 

Mateo: Good night, sweetheart. Hope you have a better night.

Thanks, good night!

Once again, you don't see the car outside watching you. They see your disappointment, not having the tea. It drives away, heading to the closest store, grabbing you some tea and another stuffed animal, this time it's a cow. They place it by your front door, knowing that you will see it tomorrow.

The nightmares woke you up all night. It was the same nightmare over and over again. You just wanted some sleep, so you kept sleeping, hoping they would go away. Your body feels so exhausted despite the amount of sleep you tried to get. 

It's still before the time you would wake up, so you just lie there. Hoping to find the will to get up eventually. It never finds you. You've tried to gather the courage to get up, but every time you do, you get overwhelmed. So you stay in bed, trapped in the cycle. 

You hear your phone buzz a couple of times, but it's too much energy to read the messages and respond to them. You lie there, with no motivation, wondering how you can convince yourself to get up. The nightmare circles your brain, an endless cycle of repetition. 

Eventually, after what feels like hours, you realize the sun has fully brightened your room. This realization pulls you into reality. You hear your phone is buzzing again. You stare at it so hard, you feel like it will catch on fire. The buzzing stops, and you get pulled into your brain again. It feels like the nightmare that never ends. 

You hear knocks coming from your front door. The room around you is slightly darker than it was before. Your phone buzzes. All of the commotion grounds you, allowing you to check your phone. There are so many notifications that you don't even bother to count them. You see a lot of texts and calls from Mateo. 

Mateo: How was your sleep, sweetheart? 

Mateo: I figure you are still sleeping, but I saw this funny cat video that made me think of you. 

Mateo: Hey, I was thinking maybe we can have lunch together soon. What are you up to tomorrow? 

Mateo: Kid, are you doing okay? I know you've been having a rough time. 

*Missed call Mateo* 

Mateo: Please just respond to me when you can. 

*Missed call Mateo* 

Mateo: Kid, if you are upset, just tell me. You are worrying me. I just want to know if you are okay. 

*Missed Call x2 Mateo* 

Mateo: I'm coming over. I need to know if you are okay.

*Missed Call Mateo* 

The messages start with more time in between them, but really start to pick up as the day passes. You look at the time. It's now 4:34 pm. Your phone buzzes again. 

Mateo: I'm here now. Why are you not answering the door? 

More knocks come from the door. 

‘How does he know where I live? I never gave him my address. Could it be someone else at my door?’ 

Looking at your phone again, you pull up Mateo’s number and dial it. It rings once and is immediately answered. 

“Sweetheart, you gave me a heart attack. Are you okay? Why haven't you been answering?” You hear his voice over the phone, and you can clearly hear how upset he is. 

“Sorry, I'm okay. The nightmares got to me all last night. I had a hard time getting up because of it. Also, was that you knocking on my door?” 

“Yes, I'm at your door. Please let me in, I want to see if you are okay.” 

You let him in because you don’t want to think about the nightmare anymore. Opening the door, you see him with a bag in his hands. He has a concerned look on his face, like he’s been worried for days. 

“Hey kid-”

You cut him off, hugging him. He still has that earthy floral smell, and you start to find comfort in it. He hugs you back, waiting for you to be the one to pull away. When you are ready to talk, you pull away from him and invite him inside. You sit on your couch with him, and all thoughts of the nightmares are gone. 

“So how did you know where I live?” 

You know that you never told him your address. 

“The night that we met, I wanted to know if you got home safe, so I followed just in case.” He tells you, little do you know, that’s not the entire story. He’s been watching you when he can, just to make sure you are okay. 

You think about what he just told you. He followed you home, so that’s how he knew where you lived. Then he was worried about you all day, so he came over to see if you were okay. You admit that it is creepy, but you don’t get the creeps from him. 

“Sorry, I know that is strange, I just know a lot of the neighborhoods and wanted to make sure you lived in a good one.”

“Do I?” You feel like your place is in a good area, but you haven’t been here too long either. 

“When I was young, it wasn’t the best, but it definitely is better. I approve. Also, I’ve got you something.” He finishes talking and gives you the bag. 

Looking at the bag, you feel you are having deja vu. The bag resembles the bag you found by your front door. Both are filled as much as they can, with a stuffed animal in the center. 

“Did you…Did you do this before? Like, bring me a bag of goodies?” You ask him, looking at the bag and back at him. 

“Umm, yeah, I did. I hoped that it would distract you from what you saw before. I wanted it to make you feel better.” You let the silence linger after he says that. You don’t know what to say exactly, so you open the bag. Inside, there is the tea you have run out of, some sweets, and a stuffed cow. 

“You know, if anyone else had done this, it would have been creepier. But you can’t be creepy because you give off such stoner dad vibes.” You say, laughing before you can finish the sentence. 

“Glad to hear that I don’t creep you out, kid. Now, let’s get some food. I’m starving, and I know you haven’t had any food yet. What would you like?”

Mateo orders what you both want to eat, and you put on a movie for the two of you. Both of you break into the snacks that he got you before the food even arrives. You forget about the nightmares and enjoy your time with Mateo. The night is a blast, especially when he comes back in after he smokes and makes extra jokes with you.

In the morning, you find that both of you fell asleep on the couch, random movies still playing in the background. You had a small nightmare overnight, but it doesn’t bother you as much. It will take some time to process what happened that night. 

Mateo wakes up after you, beelining outside for a smoke. You can’t believe that you let your guard down so much around him. Especially so fast, you still don’t know him that well. You wonder if he feels the same way. Does he feel like you are his kid in the way you feel like he is your dad? 

“Hey, sweetheart, we should play some games or just go do something. I don’t have any plans today, but I don’t know about you.” He says once he sees you inside. 

“You are such a dad! Playing games? That definitely sounds like a stoner dad activity.” You laugh at the ridiculous amount of dad energy he gives. 

“Hey, it comes with age. Plus, you are young enough to be my kid, so it works.” He says, and you laugh more. 

“I have nothing to do today, so playing games it is.” You say after you have calmed down.