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 Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:00 pm
"Severely overweight dog and an owner seeming to make it her goal to distract me." He answered Brad's inquiry with his eyes still cast to the side, but they slowly flicked over and up to look at the taller man. "Which she did." They then cast over to Alex, feeling as though she would be reveling in her brother's compliance to his roommate's surely odd request. Odd because how often do roommates ask the other for such an intimate touch? Very rarely if at all by Zeke's idea. At Brad's mention of taking a shower, Zeke nodded. "I should go change out of my work clothes."
The younger man seemed to pay no mind to Alex's words about the bread, or the nickname that she so affectionately dubbed him with, instead watching her out of the corner of his eye as she moved about the kitchen. Zeke turned to make his move toward the kitchen door and then the hallway, but Alex's last words about 'taking a hint' made him freeze up in shock. Oh no, she didn't just say that. He could tell she was teasing but still! He was surprised he hadn't willed himself to cinders yet after that comment. Despite his eccentric and happy-go-lucky sort of nature, he was quite the private person when it came to such things. At Brad's tone to his sister Zeke started to feel better, relaxing just a little, but his ending comment made him freeze up again.
Fuel to the fire Brad, fuel to the fire.... Not that he would take him up on the offer regardless of the situation, but damn Brad had sounded so serious. In a normal, just them alone situation he would know it was playful teasing and tease right back about doing just that and joining him, but not while his sister was here by God. He couldn't stop himself at looking at his roommate with an 'are you serious?' expression on his face. Zeke was aware he was ogling, but he couldn't help it. After a moment he shook his head to clear any sorts of ideas creeping into his mind and replaced his look with a small, grateful smile.
"It's okay Brad." His look turned slightly pleading, the medicine Alex had supplied still hadn't kicked in yet and he really was needing some relief. "And yes, please, if you don't mind doing so. I just need to change first, I need some 'around the house' clothes stat." He chuckled softly for seemingly no reason before easing past his roommate and out of the kitchen, speeding up slightly to get to the room with his bag in it in good time, and shutting the door behind him once he was in. Oh yes, this was going to be one interesting evening.
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:32 pm
They both watched Zeke go, and before Brad could turn on his sister, she got to him first.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she hissed softly, jovial green eyes narrowing.
His indigo ones stared back at her, not comprehending. "What--what's wrong with me?" Brad was incredulous that she could even insinuate that he had anything to do with the debacle. "You're the one gallavanting around uninvited and calling us a couple--"
"He likes you, idiot brother of mine, you better not screw this up."
Brad stared harder. Since his sister had reverted to their mother-tongue, he decided to respond in kind, their rapid Italian reverberating off the kitchen walls. "I like him too, or else I wouldn't have him as my roommate." He took a few steps back, draping the towel onto his arm rather than his shoulders, glaring at the younger woman. "You have no right to infringe and play your games."
She turned on him, advancing so fast he couldn't react, eyes snapping down as he realized she was still holding the knife to cut the chicken, which she was waving at him. "I have no right? At least I can see what's plain in front of me! Men don't react the way he does to you, nor you to him. I'm not trying to set anything up but if you hurt him because you're too busy stuck in your self-pity, Bernardo, I will hurt you ten fold."
She was lucky his name flowed easy between the Italian words, or else he would have been angry. "You don't even know him, Alessa, don't threaten me."
"I don't have to." The knife swung upwards, pointing at his nose, forcing him cross-eyed to stare at it. "I don't have to know anything about him other than he thinks very highly of you. He's a very nice man. You are not--"
"I know that!"
"--so it stands to reason he sees something in you that you obviously don't." She threw her hands up before stomping back to the chicken, cutting the poor thing with vigor. "Look. I came to make you dinner and see how you were handling things. It wasn't my intention to stumble on your boyfriend--"
"Stop calling him that--"
"--and make things weird, but he's still waiting for you and you still smell like the site, so get out of the kitchen." She gave him a dirty glance, displeased, reverting to English again. "My point is this: I just saw you really happy, saw him react to simple words, and I'm seeing a really nice chemistry. As a friend, he deserves your consideration."
He could not believe she was lecturing him, couldn't believe he was listening. "I give him a lot more consideration than you afforded him, dear sister of mine." The words were growled, a warning sign of his anger.
Alex didn't do so much as blink, warming the alfredo sauce like she belonged in the kitchen. "I like him." Green eyes observed the white and peppered sauce skillfully, patient. "Don't forget to try, B. Try to let go."
"I don't need to hear this," he replied, but the heat was gone from his voice. He remembered their previous conversation, and how astute she'd seemed then; sometimes it was hard to remember that the hellion he called a sister was occasionally an insightful young woman. "But I haven't forgotten. You send more mixed signals than a bad television." Brad muttered the last part, finally turning on heel to head down the hallway. He could really use that shower right about now, but he had Zeke to tend to first.
That thought made him grimly acknowledge that he did care for the young man, perhaps more than he was letting on. Putting Zeke's well being before his own, cooking for him... He shook his head, brushing his thoughts aside. The thoughts couldn't be entertained, not when he was fairly certain Zeke did not share them. Rapping his knuckles on the door that was closed, he called quietly, "I'm going to wash my hands and face, let me know when you're ready."
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:14 pm
Zeke had only started to rifle through his duffel bag when he heard the shouting through the door. He winced and though he couldn't speak or decipher Italian he was fairly certain his name was playing a part in their sibling quarrel. Digging down deep Zeke pulled out his iPod and put the buds in his ears, playing music to keep himself from eavesdropping even though he couldn't understand a word. Slow paced electronica brought his mind away from the two people outside the door and into his own little world while he went on a search for clothes.
The younger man pulled out off-black, loose jeans and a black tee shirt, considering that since Brad's sister was here, wearing pajamas around the house would be impolite. He stood up slowly from the floor, taking his music player with him and resting it on the bureau across from him. He was glad he wore his dark work shirt, it let him not have to wear a tee shirt underneath and all day he felt a little cooler than he would have been with his layers. Zeke undressed as quickly as his aching back would allow him, the fast walk stirring up a real mean pinch higher up than his original pain, and redressed just as quick. He was somewhat aware the shouting in the kitchen had stopped and turned the music off, leaving it and the earbuds to rest on the bureau.
"Okay Brad." Was his response to the knock on the door, slightly startled by it as he untied and brushed his locks out. Long day of school and work had left him feeling disheveled and faintly sticky, but he could live a short while longer without a soak in the shower. Zeke left his hair down and his socks on when he opened the door and stepped from the room. It was supposed to be his, but anyone looking really closely at it could tell the bed hadn't been slept in often if at all, and the room itself barely touched. To his left was the way to the kitchen and he could hear Alex working on dinner in there. To his right, the regular bathroom and the master bedroom where Brad and he slept. Unsure of which bathroom he would be in Zeke decided to try the master bath first, getting the farther location out of the way instead of passing the regular bathroom twice on his walk. He entered the room and looked around, the lights on but devoid of any sort of life.
"Brad?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:26 pm
He'd washed his face and hands first, just because he couldn't stand all the grime on him. The man sorely wanted a shower, but more than that, he didn't want to make things anymore awkward than his sister would make it. Brad knew she didn't mean to make things difficult, it was just one of her 'charms.'
With a sigh, he made his way back into the bedroom, shaking out his shaggy hair and tugging his shirt off with the tips of his fingers, disposing it on the hamper and moving to the closet to draw out a new one. He wasn't stupid, at least, not when it came to Zeke; they were friends and roommates, of course they liked each other! It was a little embarrassing to point at it in any other fashion because he was pretty sure the other wasn't terribly interested in a relationship, not after what had happened in his last one. That thought made his chest tighten, made his jaw set as memories blinked through his mind like melting film. He doubted he would forget that incident in his life.
"Brad?"
His head jerked at the sound of his name, stepping back from the closet with a shirt dangling from his fingers. "Over here Zeke," he smiled at the back of the man's head, moving the button-up around his back and slipping his arms through the sleeves, not yet bothering to button it. Brad approached the man and, now that he could properly greet him, leaned down to kiss him again, this time on the side of his mouth. "How about we tend to that back, hmm?" he rumbled pleasantly, one hand resting on Zeke's side, not wanting to accidently touch the painful point.
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Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:51 pm
Zeke turned as Brad replied, a soft smile forming on his face as the older man approached. His face was still slightly red from before, but luckily most of it faded as he was changing into his current attire. The younger man's lips pursed and his head tilted slightly to the side, returning the kiss bestowed on him. There, that was more like the day-to-day routine they had now that Zeke was back to work and he relaxed a little, the eccentric sister in the kitchen pushed out of his mind for now.
"That would be wonderful." He sounded grateful and extremely relieved Brad was still going to give his back the attention it needed. The pain in it started to dull as the medicine found its way there, but he still ached regardless. His eyes were on Brad's face, but they trailed momentarily to his chest and the open shirt, a smile forming as he reached out and took care of two of the buttons around the older man's midriff. He looked back up with an expression of satisfaction for doing the random action before moving from Brad's hand and making his way to the bed. "Dear God I'm sore..." He trailed off with a wince as he sat down, his hand drifting to his back again. Thankfully with his good friend here, his pain wouldn't last for much longer and he'd be able to sleep well later on tonight after a delicious smelling meal, a hot shower, and clean pajamas.
"So I...Uh..." A sheepish, almost timid expression came over him as his free hand rose to twine in some of his longer and now loose locks. "I'm sorry for pretty much blurting out that we do this to your sister. I probably just embarrassed the Hell out of you in front of her," His eyes flicked to Brad after inspecting the threads on the sheet beneath him, looking apologetic. "And I understand if you're upset at me about that. She's probably gonna rip you a new one about it since I'm sure how we act and what we do sounds pretty odd, considering we're just friends and roommates." Zeke detected that his 'just' sounded a faint wanting, saddened almost, but he figured he was fooling himself and shoved that out of his mind. Instead, he tried his hand at putting on a smile, one that would ease Brad up if he was in fact upset, even though the older man didn't look or act it. "I dunno how it really happened, it just sort of flowed out and I couldn't exactly stop it once I got started. Then I got flustered when she was obviously joking around..." He was chuckling nervously but it was slowly being strangled off while the red color was coming back as he reflected, especially her words suggestively asking if he wanted to be in a deeper relationship beyond just friends and roommates with her brother. Her tone of voice now really made him think she was going to or already planning something, but he himself was not sure to be elated or extremely afraid of that.
Zeke kept his eyes on Brad's face now, watching and waiting for his expressions and words after his own soaked in. Oh, how he hoped he didn't make his roommate mad by slipping up to his sister. The last thing in the world he would want to do is upset the man whom, since he had first met him, had shown him extreme kindness and whom he had taken a great liking to. A liking so great, one could even call it a crush.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:35 pm
Indigo eyes ticked downward to watch his room mate button part of his shirt, earning a wide and bemused smile from the Italian. The expression on Zeke's face made his smile grow, reaching his eyes and softening his features considerably with his own contained mirth. With a slight shake of his head, he followed the younger man, worry creasing the good-humored expression. Strong hands gently touched the other's shoulder in reassurance, "It's going to hurt when I work on it, but it'll be better once it's out. I promise."
Brad lofted his dark brows as Zeke continued to speak, but about something different entirely. "Sorry?" he repeated, surprise obvious in his tone, "Don't--...Zeke." He fell silent as the other continued onward, eyes softening and lowering as well as he listened to each spoken word and the meaning behind it. When he was done, the man lightly shook his head, extending a hand to gently touch his knuckle to the bottom fo Zeke's chin, making the other look at him. "Don't apologize. Please. You're a part of my life, and the things we do are nothing to be ashamed of, especially when they bring me as much contentment as they do. I'm not embarrassed of our time together. It's the highlight of my day." A pause, allowing him to take in a short breath. "She can be difficult to deal with at times, but she likes you. If she didn't...she's made grown men cry." He shrugged, looking vaguely amused, and suddenly curious as to why his sister liked him.
Lowering himself to the bed, he took a seat next to Zeke, twining his arm around the man's back (still mindful to stray from the sore spot) and giving him a half-embrace. "She knows what I think of you. No harm in telling her the same from your point of view, okay? Just don't be afraid to tell me either." He winked at Sour Apple then, a playful antic to tell the other that he was not in the least bit upset. If anything, it'd really taken some stress off of his shoulders if he ever chose to...
...to what, exactly? His odd blue eyes turned over the younger man's face in quiet consideration. What did it make easier? If he wanted to admit he liked Zeke? It was obvious he did, but the 'like' was beginning to become a blurred line, with how close they were with hugs and even kisses. He wasn't like this with anyone else. He supposed that it made it easier to accept just that, that Zeke was different, he was special. "For now, just lay down and we'll get that knot worked out. I'll be as gentle as I can."
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:40 pm
Relief crept in as his chin was gently lifted and it settled then began to spread as Brad took his turn speaking. Any worry he had for the older man being upset was being washed away once he went on explaining. "R-Really?" Zeke's apologetic expression lessened and a smile broke through once his roommate mentioned that their time spent together was 'the highlight of his day'. It grew at the mention of his sister making men cry when she disliked someone, a part of him glad she liked him, even after such a startling meeting. "I'm glad you're not upset with me Brad."
Shifting slightly on the bed he made room for Brad as the man sat down, but slipped into his side at the embrace. The pills were kicking in now but he still felt a twinge shooting up from his immediate hurt area, causing him to wince. His eyes flicked up to the older man's face, hoping he hadn't seen that. Like getting him upset, worrying Brad was one of the last things he wanted to do. He saw Brad was in fact looking at him and his cheeks lightly colored pink. Again he hoped that his roommate didn't notice, even though he was looking right at him with a keen eye. Zeke had a feeling he wasn't just watching him to make sure he wasn't hurting too bad, but it seemed a bit outlandish now that he thought about it. Brad liked him of course, they were roommates and the man had invited Zeke into his home, so there had to be some likening there.
"Oh...right." He almost missed Brad's last words as he started to think over why the other man had been looking at him like that. The directions to lie down brought him back and to give the appearance that he hadn't been elsewhere mentally the younger man flashed him a friendly smile before getting up again. He couldn't turn and lie down sitting, it would put strain on his back and already hurting muscles. Slowly he turned and eased himself onto his stomach, wincing more than once before he was totally down flat. "Ugh...Hurts even though I know the medicine is kicking in." The words came through gritted teeth, he didn't want to sound like he was whining about it. Zeke turned his head so he could see Brad, turning his grit and determination not to show the pain on his face into a thankful smile.
"I trust you Brad...And thanks for doing this. You really are a lifesaver."
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