The Preening Peacock (Kai)

[Deleted]

Looking at himself in the mirror, Zachary Bishop felt.....inadequate. His shirt was nice enough, though it was still almost a year old, as it was one of the shirts Kai had gotten him (without asking) last year. His pants, denim jeans with frayed edges. He would have gone with nicer slacks, only wearing those made him feel like he was supposed to be walking down the red-carpet in Hollywood...and even then, he would still feel underdressed, because all of it was more than 6 months old, had been washed numerous times, and were on the verge of fading any color they might've had in them simply because Zach had taken it upon himself to wash them a majority of that time.

Laundry...was an "art" form, apparently. Whatever that meant.

Zach was definitely not gay enough to know what that was.

He fiddled with his hair. It'd grown over the holidays. Kept getting in his eyes. He should probably get a haircut soon. And maybe shave, he'd been slacking on that too. Zach sighed. Not tonight, there wasn't enough time for him to clean himself up much outside of a shower. They were supposed to be leaving soon, after all.

.....then again, maybe Zach had more time than he thought. Especially since Mr. Preen and Primp over there had yet to emerge from the bathroom.

Zach sighed and looked at the closed door again. What was he doing in there anyway!? He was certain that Claudia never even took this long to get ready. Zach rubbed his hands over his face and forehead, debating if he should just go vegitate on the couch and watch some TV while he waited, or go in and pester Kai to hurry the fuck up.

.....option two won out after a whole mili-second of debate.

Zach knocked on the door. "Hey Kai....Um...the, uh....the ocean wants their water...back...." Lame. "Okay, you know what, just hurry up, and open the door already."

[Malachai Roen]

Did Kai feel bad about spending as much if not more time to get ready than the average young woman?

No.

Should he?

… Debatable. He wouldn’t have even thought of it if not for the person he was going out with. Back when he used to date high-maintenance women, it was almost a competition of who took longer to get ready. Now, he was lucky if he was even done with his hair by the time Zach was pounding on the door.

This time, at least, he had gotten to his facial routine before the predictable knock came.

Kai paused, then laughed in amusement at his boyfriend’s(?) awful joke. “I got done with my shower ages ago,” he clucked, going to open the door with moisturizer in hand. His smile faltered upon the sight of the man’s rather scruffy face. He’d almost forgotten how much Zach had been letting himself go lately… And had also probably half-hoped he would do some cleaning up for going out tonight.

“…. You need to shave,” he pouted, taking Zach’s chin in his hand and turning his face side to side. “And I should get you in to see my hair stylist.” Kai held in a sigh. “… How old is that shir-? You know what, never mind.” He should know by now not to chide too much. It just… Wasn’t Zach’s thing, he knew. Even if it was hard and Kai knew he had potential to look even hotter (because yes, despite everything, the younger man was helplessly attracted to the writer. No, he didn’t understand it either).

“Give me another… Ten minutes,” he said instead, which basically translated to at least another half hour. “…. And another ten afterwards so I can fix you up. Just a little.” He lifted his razor with an intent smile. “Alright?” Kai pecked Zach on the cheek and went back to work.

[Deleted]

Zach was about as low maintenance as one could get. No, he was an outright slob sometimes, it was a wonder that Kai didn’t get on him more about that. At least he didn’t leave his soda cans lying around the apartment anymore…well, at least he picked them up when Kai told him to. Maybe Zach did need to gain some more healthy habits, but he still thought that the extent Kai went into ‘perfection’ was downright excessive.

Zach plugged his nose as the smell of cologne and body spray and something else floral wafted out with the steam the moment the door had been opened. He waved the fumes off with his hand. “How can you…breathe in here!?” he complained, followed by a light cough.

His face stiffed as it was gripped by his….boy-friend-dating-person…and forced to and fro like he was some kid being checked by his mother to see if he washed his face properly. “Hey…” he protested. The longer Kai talked about his scruff…his hair…the old shirt….the darker Zach’s eyes seemed to grow in pure irritation until it seemed as if he might bore holes into his counterpart from his glare alone. "I would have shaved, if someone hadn't hogged the bathroom for the last hour and a half." No, he was not pushing the blame on Kai instead of taking responsibility for just being lazy.

He rolled his eyes at the kiss. "Fine." Ten minutes? Zach looked at his watch. Great..that meant they were going to be here for another hour. He sighed. “We’re just going out for drinks.” And maybe a little karaoke, if Zach got drunk enough. “Does it really matter…what we look like to people that we’re…only going to see for like…maybe three hours tops…and then never again?” At least, they probably wouldn’t see them again. Zach turned away and flopped into the chair that was just a few feet outside the bathroom door, draping his arms over the arm and leering at his man as he continued to get ready.

…why’d he have to be so damn hot? Zach traced his eyes over Kai’s bare back, watching those muscles move as he continued to primp himself in the bathroom mirror. “It’s not like we’re going to a….a fancy Hollywood premier or something…” Not even one of those restaurants that required ‘proper’ dress. “I’m sure the world will forgive you if you’re hair’s a little bit messy.”

[Malachai Roen]

Yes…. Zach was getting a little better. And maybe Kai was getting a little better about not getting after him so much…. Maybe. He still wished the older man would just drink water out of a glass rather than the sugary stuff all the time anyway, but… He wasn’t going to try to change Zach’s habits that much. He didn’t want to drive him away, after all…

“What are you talking about?” he asked ignorantly. “It’s just a little steam.” Kai smirked and smothered Zach against him for a moment. “Steam and good ol’ man smell. Don’t you like that?” He laughed, but turned on the vent, since he now realized it was a little stuffy in there.

He did notice the dark scowl deepening on Zach’s face, though, and he felt a smidgen of guilt. “You could have done that while I was in the shower,” he said, almost meekly. “It’s not like we need to worry about modesty.” He was fairly certain they both knew each other’s clothes-less figures pretty well by now. Hell, he was only wearing a towel even as they talked, and it was loosening with every movement and threatening to fall.

He turned back to the mirror and started patting some who-knew-what cream on his face. “Mm? I know,” he hummed, distracted. “You never know who you might run into, though. There could be some bigwig book publisher looking for a budding new author, or something. And you’d want to make a good first impression, right?” Okay, maybe that was a bit absurd, but Kai liked to think big. He glanced back at Zach and smiled. “… I’m not dressing up to attract potential hook-ups, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m done with that.” Zach should – he hoped – know that by now.

Back to preening. Kai smirked, sensing his lover’s gaze on his back, but said nothing. He might have ‘accidentally’ let his towel get loose enough to fall with a soft plop at his feet, though. “Oops,” he said lazily with a glance down and a shrug. “…. A little messy?” Instead of covering himself, Kai swept a hand through his hair, allowing his dark locks to take on a, well, hot mess sort of look. “… You’re right, this is better for drinking anyway,” he determined. “I’ll keep it like this.” His towel was still on the ground as he checked himself out left and right.

[Deleted]

“A little?” Zach didn’t believe him, of course. If it wasn’t perfume or cologne, then it was no doubt whatever shampoo and body wash this guy was using. “This is not man smell,” he said bluntly into Kai’s bare chest. “This is…" Zach stopped and took a big whiff. "What is that anyway?” It smelled familiar, but it sure as hell wasn't man musk. Kai was practically a woman with all the fancy stuffs and time he spent on grooming.

They had seen each other bare-butt enough that it probably didn’t matter if they shared the bathroom while they both got ready….but there was just something about that that unsettled Zach. Maybe because it would only accentuate the differences in time spent on getting ready between them…or the differences in how much they cared about their appearances….or maybe Zach was just too embarrassed to be caught giving a shit about how he looked with Kai watching…and judging…and who would somehow use it as an excuse to poke at the naturally unkempt writer.

Zach should just learn how to relax…or at least how to not care about what Kai thought of his grooming habits. Or lack thereof. “That’s not…usually how it works, Kai…” Publishers didn’t go scouting for writers at pubs and karaoke night, like talent agents did sometimes. Hell, talent agents didn’t even do that as often as the world believed. “I’m not worried about that….I just…” How should he say this? Should he say it at all?

The towel fell. Right. He should’ve known. Kai didn’t need an excuse to tease Zach. If he wanted to, Kai would damn well find a way to do it all on his own.

…..he knew Zach couldn’t help but look and admire. Jerk. Zach wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction and so turned his head away, pretending not to look. His eyes weren’t looking where they were supposed to though….stupid willpower. “…that’s not what I meant and you know it,” he grumbled into his arm. He hated how good Kai looked with his hair ‘disheveled’.

“…..don’t you think we’re a bit mismatched?” Damn…he said it and now there was no taking it back. Zach soured his face even more to hide his unsettlement.

[Malachai Roen]

“I’m wearing it, so that makes it man smell,” Kai replied smugly. Seriously, Zach should be used to this by now! The younger man had all assorted different colognes and body-sprays and who knew what all else from when he worked at From the Spectrum. He would still shop there, even if he (sadly) didn’t work there anymore. “Mmm…” Kai lifted up a bottle of some scent he’d sprayed into his hair when he was done, offering it to Zach. “Maybe that’s what you smell?” He’d humor the guy, at least.

He did wish Zach would do a little more, though, or at least… Let Kai help. He was sure he could do wonders to the man’s pale skin and dark, fluffy hair (mmm…), but he knew not to pressure his… Zach… Too much. He hoped the writer would eventually just… Give in, maybe.

“Well, you never know!” he retorted, knowing his argument was weak at best anyway. Hmph. “Fine, fine, it’s vanity, okay? It’s not like you don’t already know…” Kai was mumbling by this point, his just-groomed face blushing lightly at the obvious admittance. He spared a glance back when Zach started mumbling himself, but he wasn’t sure how to respond as he trailed off, so he just went quietly back to work, hoping the older man would get up the nerve with a bit of time.

And a bit of butt. There were still no signs of Kai picking the towel up as he plucked and groomed until he finally deemed himself presentable. “What? What did you mean?” he replied with emphasized obliviousness. “You just asked if my hair could be a bit messy, and it is. Isn’t this what you wanted?” What more could he do, chop it all off? Hell no.

He finally took down the shirt he had hanging nearby and started buttoning it on, turning around to look at Zach as he spoke up again. Kai raised a surprised brow. “Well… I mean, now that you mention it…” He walked closer as he finished buttoning his shirt up, and slowly pushed Zach back against the wall, looking him up and down. “I could… Ruffle your hair up a bit, too.” Kai caught Zach’s lips in a sudden, passionate kiss, sliding his fingers through the writer’s dark locks as he settled heavily in his lap. He continued his unpredictable onslaught until he was running short on breath. “Mm… Will you let me shave you and trim your hair, at least?” he murmured, rubbing his thumb over Zach’s scruffy jaw. “You’re going to give me a rash.”

[Deleted]

Ah ha ha ha… “I’d like to see you take that attitude with something else….like….” Like what? Knowing Kai, he’d really would take anything remotely feminine and declare it masculine simply because he was using it. “Never mind…” he retracted with a sigh, returning the embrace…briefly. He took a step back and allowed Kai to “humor” him. Zach was just going to humor him back. He took the bottle and took a whiff…and coughed slightly. “Ahem….uh…yeah, that’s it,” he said, clearing his throat from the irritation. It wasn’t. Whatever, it didn’t matter. It was too troublesome to figure out anyway, so best to just let it drop.

Because who wanted to start out a supposedly nice evening just bickering over pointless things?

Well, that’s pretty much how they started most of their evenings…outings….anything…it got tiresome sometimes. Because while sometimes it was just them being them, somewhat flirtatious and playing around, sometimes it was also very….it just pointed out all of the things they didn’t like about each other…and that made Zach insecure.

Did it really bother Kai that much that Zach was such a slob? That he didn’t care about keeping up appearances? That it didn’t matter to him if they ate at a 5-star restaurant or from the drive-through at McDonalds?

Arg! This is not what Zach wanted to be thinking about right now! He buried his head into his arms as Kai feigned ignorance. “Never mind…” Zach was getting tired. Or fed up? No… Why couldn’t he just keep his mouth shut? “Never mind, never mind…!” he uttered, shaking his head self-consciously as Kai pushed him back. Zach raised his eyes slowly up to that ridiculously…good-looking…

Zach’s breath caught sharply as he engaged in the kiss, his eyes closing involuntarily and before he knew it, he was returning it with a pressing need. “Damn you…” he gasped when they finally parted, his eyes opening slowly. How did he do that? Always make Zach turn into putty with just a touch. “Fine…” he finally acquiesced. “Just….don’t take too long…we’re running late as it is.” He managed a smile, looking up at his…man… Zach reached up and planted a softer, shorter kiss on Kai’s lips. "Love you...idiot."

[Malachai Roen]

“Like what? A skirt and some lipstick?” Kai snapped his fingers all sassy-like in the mirror and jutted his hip out, all while pouting out his lips. “I can rock anything and you know it, girlfriend,” he sassed, holding the pose for a moment before breaking into incredulous laughter at his own stunts. “Oh my God…. I can’t believe I just did that,” he guffawed. He was too busy with his own stupid behavior to realize Zach’s irritation with the whole bottle thing. “You make me an idiot…” he sighed. “A love-drunk, rambling idiot.” Who ever would have guessed?

So sure… They bickered a lot, no big deal. Kai was nearly always playing around these days; he’d grown more comfortable with the fact that Zach wasn’t (he thought) going to leave him again, so he was becoming more relaxed with their ‘arguing’ over small, silly things. He did get irked on occasion, but not often. Zach was Zach, and he’d come to the realization that nothing he did could change that… For the most part. It wouldn’t keep him from trying to get the guy to cut his hair on a somewhat regular basis, though.

Kai smirked as Zach returned the kiss, taking a deep breath through his nose as it went on. He wasn’t just doing this because he knew it would calm the writer down. Kai just… Really wanted to just fucking kiss him. “What?” he asked innocently with a tilt of his head. He broke into a smile a moment later. The younger man hummed in success when Zach relented, his smile softening as he did. “I promise I won’t,” he murmured, smooching him back. “I love you too, Zach. Don’t forget that, okay?”

With a lingering gaze, Kai finally got back off of the older man’s lap and put on his pants, taking a few more minutes to check everything, do some final touch-ups, and determine himself ready. “Alright, get in here so I can un-scruff that beautiful face of yours,” he told Zach, waving his hand with a grin. “I’ll be quick.” Assuming his lover did so, Kai would slather some shaving cream on his face and (carefully) work on getting that scruffy mess into something more presentable. “… You’re so patient with me,” he mumbled as he worked. “Haven’t you gotten sick of me yet?” Okay… So maybe there were some lingering worries in the back of his head. And maybe there always would be; they were two very different people, after all, and it never ceased to amaze him just how crazy he felt about the… Well, quite plain man.

[Deleted]

Zach stared at his….Kai…as he somehow turned into a sassy woman before his eyes. Even after he broke character, Zach continued to give him that incredulous look.  “Yes….you are an idiot. Don’t ever do that again.”  The thought of Kai being a woman was somehow the biggest turn-off he’d ever known.  “I…me…being able to return that love…..depends on it.”
 
Though Zach was an idiot himself when it came to the tall Asian man.  After all….well…after what happened last semester, Zach may have gotten just a little bit more clingy for a while – texting in the middle of the night, always asking Kai to drive him somewhere, calling him at odd hours – it was a wonder that Kai didn’t get fed up with the writer.  He really helped….a lot… And that may have made Zach just a little bit more attached than he was before.
 
Though they still hadn’t ever really talked about what their relationship actually was.  It was like last year all over again….only this time…there were definitely together.  That thought could easily make Zach smile, musing to himself over the how surreal it all seemed.

It was feelings like these that made Zach give in so easily to the younger man. Or maybe Kai was really just that good a kisser, that he could convince Zach to do practically anything once he got him swooning. Zach smiled gently back at that child-like man, hearing those words that made his heart flutter returned to him. “Okay…” Zach could stand to be groomed just a little bit, right?

Zach waited in that chair, watching as Kai primped himself like the damn peacock he was. Damn…why’d he have to be so…? Zach let those thought fall from his head for now. “Fine…” he sighed, sounding and looking as reluctant as he possibly could. Zach left his seat and joined his partner in the washroom. “Good, because I’m timing you. Starting…now.” Zach wasn’t really, though he did take a quick glance at the analog set on the wall. He flinched as Kai got started. “That’s cold…” he notified. Still, Zach stood his ground and let Kai have his fun. “I ask myself that same question every day.” Only in the reverse order. Zach closed his eyes, deciding it was better to not look Kai in the face while he was working so close. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

[Malachai Roen]

“Okay, I won’t,” Kai agreed with another chuckle. He was amused with himself, if nothing else. Boo you, Zach. He pouted in the mirror at the add-on. “Note taken,” he said solemnly. No more sassy-ness from him.

What happened recently had, honestly, made Kai even more attached than anything. The situation Zach had gotten into had shocked the younger man into becoming fiercely protective, constantly checking in on the writer to make sure he was alright, if he wasn’t already with him in the first place. He’d gradually gotten a little less paranoid, but it was still a lingering fear he felt constantly in the back of his head. He always made sure Zach didn’t end up walking alone in the dark, no matter how far away or inconvenient it was.

But yes… Kai was definitely that good of a kisser. Among other things. And if that’s what he needed to do to get a little fun (read: manipulation) out of Zach, he’d do it. Gladly.

“Thank you babe~” he cooed as Zach came over, wrapping his arms around the writer’s waist briefly and pecking his cheek. “You’re the best boyfriend… partner… lover… Whatever, ever.” Kai laughed at Zach’s threat to time him. “I don’t want to rush, I might cut you!” he protested. He didn’t respond to the man’s complaint, just smirked and kept working. He worked diligently, gently, careful not to accidentally prick Zach’s skin while he cleaned him up. “I’m sure you do,” he mumbled, still thinking they were talking about himself. Still, he finished after a few minutes and grabbed a towel to wipe off the last of the shaving cream. “Tadaa~ Now just to give your hair a trim,” he informed, stepping aside so Zach could see his now clean-shaven face.

Kai was enjoying himself. He picked up his trimming scissors and did the best he could – while he wasn’t a hairdresser by any means, he had a good enough eye to give a decent cut. Zach was left looking just a little more cleaned-up than he had previously. “There, I think that’ll do for tonight,” Kai eventually determined, setting down the shears and wrapping his arms around Zach from behind. “Unless there’s anything else you want me to do?” he added, nuzzling and nibbling on his neck.

[Deleted]

Damn right he wouldn’t, not if he knew what was good for him. While Kai had probably intended on that to be funny as another one of his random acts of stupid, it was in face, horribly creepy. It sent a shiver up Zach’s spine. He’d take the normal annoying Kai over effeminate, sassy Kai any day.

Just because he knew how to keep himself well groomed did not make him a woman. He…..really must be gay, he thought. He couldn’t even imagine being with a woman anymore, even though those few times with Noa had been memorable, he no longer had the desire to repeat them.

“Fine, just do it already,” he grumbled. Sigh….why was he thinking about all this now? Because he didn’t have anything better to think about with Kai standing about 6 inches away from him and sticking his face in Zach’s face while he was tidying up the rugged writer. He was so self-conscious, he had to close his eyes to keep himself from blushing out to his ears. His cheeks weren’t so lucky, however, as just the younger man’s presence around him, the man gently touching his face to shave away days of stubbled hair growth. Then the subtle tickles from him messing and clipping at his hair.

Zach opened his eyes slowly once Kai announced that he was finished. He looked into the large bathroom mirror in front on him, seeing the work that Kai had done on him, and then the man himself standing behind him, wrapping his arms around the shorter man like they were….lovers…or something.

“Nothing….really….” Zach mumbled, feeling his cheeks grow a little bit redder. He lowered his eyes. “Um…you know…I, uh….I’ve already been telling people….boyfriend….so….I don’t think we have to…think…too hard…about that. Anymore.” Damn. What sort of embarrassing thing was he muttering now? He raised his hands to clasp and hang from those toned arms wrapped around him. His face was on fire by now. “I-if that’s alright…”

[Malachai Roen]

Kai, on the other hand, definitely did still feel attracted to women, and did still stare when given the chance. Hello, had anyone seen Vanessa? Even after taking care of Christian all day, she was gorgeous. But just because he was attracted didn’t mean he felt the need or desire to chase after them anymore. Zach may have only been the second man he’d ever been with, but Kai was absolutely smitten, for reasons still unknown to him.

He noted the pink tinge to Zach’s cheeks, and smiled to himself. He was so cute, Kai thought. “I’d let you do the same to me, if I wasn’t afraid of you shaving something too far,” he hummed as he worked. “Maybe someday I’ll let you play with my hair.” Someday when they weren’t going out, at least. Hair was fixable. The perfect amount of stubble wasn’t. “You’ll thank me for this someday,” he promised. He really didn’t know if that was true, though.

“See? You look great,” Kai told him smugly, proud of his work. Sure, with more time and more… Patience from Zach, he could have done more, but he wasn’t going to push his luck. He kept mouthing on the writer’s neck, threatening to leave a hickey before they even left the house.

“Mm?” he hummed, finally peeking up from his ‘work’ as Zach spoke. What he said made Kai’s heart beat faster, and a slow, stupid grin spread across his face. Had the older man really been…? “… I think it’s perfectly alright,” he finally mumbled, returning to caress Zach’s neck. Kai squeezed him gently. “Because… That’s what I want to be. To you. And no one else.” Duh. Now he was acting dumb. “… Yeah.” There Zach went again, making the normally talkative, cocky young man turn into a mumbling, fumbling idiot. Kai cleared his throat and pulled away, relaxing his grip. “We should probably get going, huh?” he asked with a sheepish smile. “I think Vanessa should be there for a while longer, we can visit her for a bit.”

[Deleted]

“M-maybe I’ll keep that in mind. You know….next time you..piss me off.” What was he trying to threaten now? “That’d be some revenge.” Though the image he had in his mind was enough to make Zach smile despite himself. “I wonder how you would look with no eyebrows? And a single…one of those….I’ll just shave it right down the middle of your head. How’s that sound?” Zach managed a short laugh. “That will be my ‘thank you’.” Zach wouldn’t really do that. Maybe just a little. Off the sides.

The scowl was back though, as he looked at himself in the mirror at Kai’s finished work. “Great, huh? I get it now. I guess I didn’t look very…’great’ before…right?” That was a trap if he’d ever heard one, and Zach kicked himself for setting it up like that. No good could come from whatever answer Kai gave. It made Zach feel down all over again. Like…if this was what Kai wanted…then why did he let Zach get away with letting himself go in the first place? What in the world did he see in Zach that made him put up with that?

And again, why was Zach with Kai, a person so vain he bet he thought every song was about him. At least, every song Zach sang, half-drunk, at the karaoke bar. As if there was some hidden meaning behind every word…

Though even as he thought this, Zach’s heart beat faster when he uttered that revelation in stumbling words. He shivered when Kai touched his neck, and his eyes closed when those words were spoken into the young writer’s ear. Zach felt cold when those arms pulled away, and he wrapped his own over his chest in an attempt to compensate for the loss. “Y-yeah…we should,” he said softly, his gaze falling, but his cheeks still a flaming red.

Dammit, what was with this nervous feeling? Yes, yes, Zach wanted to go out. Yes, he was looking forward to going out and spending time socializing with mutual friends, especially with Vanessa. But…if they left now…then Zach would have to wait until the night was over to get Kai all to himself again. Zach stood for a second where Kai left him, then willed himself to follow the tall, handsome man out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Before he could get much further, Zach reached out and grabbed his lover’s hand. “Kai, wait, I, uh…” Of course he’d freeze up. Zach couldn’t look Kai in the face either.

[Malachai Roen]

“Nooo…” Kai whined, pretending to be upset by the threat (which honestly, he wouldn’t put past Zach, so maybe he really should be nervous…). “You wouldn’t do that,” he protested, squeezing Zach tighter and nipping the small, dark bruise he’d formed on his neck. “Would you? To me? I’d be ruined!” He could only imagine what Sera would say if she saw him like that.

“Hey, now wait…” he protested, frowning at Zach’s words. “I’m fine with you however you look, babe. You know that.” Kai kissed his neck, then his cheek. “I think it’s just good to look more… Presentable… In public.” And looking slightly like a homeless person or something just wasn’t what Kai wanted to be seen with, if he was honest with himself. At home, though? Whatever. He still loved Zach no matter how he looked. “It was just a little trim,” he murmured. “It’s not like I thought you needed a huge makeover or something.”

He smiled in amusement and content to Zach’s reaction at his words, sliding his palm slowly down the writer’s side. “Do you need to get a jacket?” he asked, noticing his arms. “You look cold.” Despite the fact that he was blushing deeply… Hehe. “I don’t want you to get sick or anything.” Even though Kai would have fun taking care of the older man, as always, like those long weeks after Zach had gotten attacked… It had brought them so much closer, but Kai hated that something so traumatic had been the trigger.

He pulled away from Zach and headed toward the bedroom to grab his own jacket and shoes. He didn’t notice the writer’s change in behavior until he felt his hand being grabbed, and Kai turned an inquisitive look back at him. “Hmm?” he asked, confused. He turned further so he was facing his lover again, taking his cheek in his large hand. “What is it? Did I do something wrong?” He had a habit of asking that now, considering how often he seemed to do something that miffed Zach. And now the guy wasn’t even looking at him… What had he done?

[Deleted]

“Well…guess you’ll just have to be normal like the rest of us,” he countered smartly. Hmph…Zach could do sass too if he wanted…kind of..

Yup, there it was. The trap. Kai trying to come up with a reason for wanting Zach to look like this without making it sound like he wasn’t good enough just being how he was. And as expected, the answer Kai gave was less than satisfactory, because it revealed what Zach already knew; that Kai was a vain, rich-boy who innocently cared too much about appearances. That was all. And then Zach would feel bad because not only was the answer unsatisfactory, and one he already knew the answer to, but also for putting Kai on the spot like that to begin with. Zach sighed. “I know. Never mind,” he said grumpily.

Kai’s touches…his continued teasing was not doing anything for the already frustrated Zach. He closed his eyes a moment, trying to calm himself. “Uh…yeah,” he replied, only half sure of what he was responding to. Zach was just trying to…not let himself get carried away…..

Zach hated how weak his willpower was. That was why he impulsively grabbed Kai’s hand, before he could even think about what he was going to do or say after that. “Uh….” he uttered, slowly raising his eyes up to his..to Kai. “I, uh…” Just say it already! he scolded himself. Zach turned his face into Kai’s hand when it came to his cheek. “I…”

Before he could talk himself out of it anymore, Zach moved quickly. He pushed Kai back until his knees buckled against the bed and he fell backwards, then crawled over that sharply-dressed, smoking…god-damn hot…sexy….grahh!! He couldn’t stand it anymore, and it was all Kai’s fault!! Zach dove down into a kiss, with no intention of coming back up for air anytime soon.