BAB 6

"Damn." Chris rolled his eyes. Zaki tried to join him and only succeeded in getting double vision. But he shared the sentiment. Pino was being too damn overprotective. "You need help rolling him into a cab?"

"Yeah. I don't live far from here." Pino offered Zaki a hand, which he waved away and promptly landed on his ass when he tried to stand.

"Fuck. He really is toasted," Chris said, like Zaki wasn't even there as he and Pino hauled him to his feet. He stumbled along with the two of them, not missing the look of regret that passed between the two men.

"Y'all want to fuck, you should," Zaki babbled.

"Call me when your tourist is asleep," Chris said to Pino.

Tourist? Did Chris mean him? Fuck. He didn't even know anymore. He barely registered Pino and Chris pushing him into a cab.

"Wheee," he said as the cab took off for an address Pino barked at the driver. "Hey. Wait. I'm supposed to stay at Rino tonight."

"Already texted him," Pino said grimly. "No way am I subjecting them to you after their bad night. You can sleep it off on Brandon bed."

"You're mean," Zaki said as Pino paid the driver and yanked him up the walk of a small apartment building.

"Sssh. Not so loud. And try not to break your neck." Pino led him to a third-floor apartment.

"Imma SEAL. I can handle stairs," he slurred right as he tripped and had to be helped up.

"Let's find you a puke bowl," Pino said as they entered a small cluttered living room with a battered leather couch, TV and two computer desks.

"Not gonna puke," he assured Pino. "We should drink more."

"Hell no." Pino laughed.

"Or dance. We should dance more. Right here." Zaki rubbed up against Pino, who was warm with surprisingly hard muscles on his wiry frame. Muscles that he used to shove Zaki toward a doorway.

"Oh no. I turned down a good time with Chris. You are not trying to start something with me now."

"Is just dancing." Zaki tried to give him a pitiful look but only got pushed a few more feet for his efforts.

"It is not just dancing." Pino sighed. "We dance here in private? Someone's getting naked."

"Think so?" Zaki asked too quickly, trying to control his heart rate.

"I know so." Pino handed him a large metal mixing bowl. "Now, do not puke in Brandon bed."

"You could at least kiss me good-night. Bet Chris woulda gotten a kiss..." He puckered up but found himself tumbled backward onto a bed.

Pino leaned in, kissed him on his forehead, which for some strange reason made Zaki eyes well up. "Night, Zaki."

He'd forget this in the morning. He had to forget all of tonight, but for right now, he rubbed his forehead, trying to feel the lip prints, and moved his hips, trying to imprint the memory of Pino body against his own.

Chapter Three

Pino was pretty damn proud of himself for neither kissing Zaki nor abandoning him to go start something with Chris. No, he was the good, responsible friend for once, tucking Zaki into bed when he started to snore moments after begging for a kiss, taking off his boots and making sure the puke bowl was right next to him. Then he checked the fridge, making sure he had the makings of a hangover breakfast in there before he collapsed in his own bed. Alone.

God, he'd been so close to taking Chris up on the offer of partying back at his place. If Zaki were just a little more sober, he totally would have gone for it, but Zaki was a whole ream of paper to the wind, and kept looking at him like he trusted him to keep him safe. Guy should know better than to trust someone like him.

And God, when Zaki had suggested dancing back here? All those muscles rubbing up against him with purpose? Big questioning eyes asking for a kiss? Fuck, Pino was ready for sainthood right now.

After hours of dancing, Pino was also horny as hell, brain drifting to thoughts of what a kiss with Zaki could have been fuck, did Zaki ever have a kissable mouth with soft pink lips. But jerking off over Zaki with him sleeping a thin wall away was a bit much, even for Pino. Instead, he punched his pillow and waited for the dulcet tones of Zaki puking his guts out.

Said sounds came in the early morning hours, and Pino roused himself just to make sure the guy knew where the can was.

"Oh my God, I am never drinking again," Zaki said as Pino led him to the bathroom. Pino rinsed out the puke bowl so gross while Zaki got sick in the toilet. He wet a washcloth with cold water and handed it to Zaki for his face when he finished.

"Thanks. Sorry, man, I don't usually drink like this." Zaki straightened, swiping at his face and neck with the rag. And just like that, all Zaki shields appeared back in place. No more vulnerable guy asking for a kiss. No more hungry look, just a hungover dude bro looking for the puke bowl.

"No problem." Pino's tone was too stiff. Jeez. Was he seriously going to be hurt that Zaki was retreating?

"Oh there you are." Zaki voice went all warm and sweet as he dropped to one knee, coaxing Pino's cat, Gizmo, into the small room. Turning to Pino, he said, "It slept with me. Helped with the bed spins."

It might have been Pino's imagination, but he swore there was a note of wistfulness in Zaki voice, like he was sad at being alone in the bed, which was just fuck it. Pino was not equipped to deal with confused straight boy who went from remote to sweet in an instant.

"Gizmo usually stays hidden," Pino snapped, too harsh again, but damn it, the cat rarely slept with him and Pino fed the damn thing, gave him his meds, and kept his long hair as snarl free as the foul-tempered beast would let him. His other cat, Nectarine, was also the type to stay hidden when strangers were in the house she was probably under Pino bed right now.