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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Feed Me, Seymour
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,700
Summary: James invites Andy and Zayne out on a dinner date, wherein Zayne is a baby, James is a jerk, and Andrej wishes he were anywhere but there.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. My prompt was from July 15th, so this is more than a little late. But when it comes to food, I sometimes get carried away. My prompt was Shanghai dumplings and the theme was bizarre foods so, of course I had to research what kind of weird things they serve in Shanghai, right?
“What is this place,” Zayne asked, dropping into the empty seat next to Andrej.
“It’s a Shanghai-inspired Chinese restaurant serving both traditional and new world versions of their most popular dishes.”
“The narco picked this place, didn’t he?” Zayne made a face and reached for a menu from the pile sitting in the middle of the table. “It looks like the kind of place he’d suggest.”
“Yes, he did,” Andrej confirme, taking the menu Zayne handed him. “He believed it to be a safe choice considering how much you enjoy your Chinese food.”
“But that’s not the same thing,” Zayne protested. “The stuff we eat out of those cardboard containers? That’s Americanized Chinese food, not the real stuff. I mean, they serve frog, Zek. Frog. I thought only the French ate frogs.”
Zeklos closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. “Zayne, it’s not only traditional Chinese food,” he repeated. “There are also more familiar items. Chicken. Duck. Those dumplings you’re so fond of eating.”
“Not to mention grilled oysters and stinky tofu,” James added, stealing the chair directly across from Andrej.
“You’re not helping, Jay,” Zeklos said, giving the redhead a look. Why did his boyfriends feel the need to constantly antagonize one another?
“What the hell is stinky tofu?” Zayne scrunched his face up in disgust, glaring at the man on the other side of the table. “On second thought, never mind. I don’t care what it is, I’m not eating it.”
“It’s fermented tofu, crusted and tossed in some very yummy things. Stinky tofu is also a Shanghai specialty.” James lifted the remaining menu from the table and nodded when he spotted it on the menu. “We should order some.”
“No,” Zayne said, “we should not.”
“What we should do,” James said, ignoring Zayne completely, “is hail our server and order some Maotai.”
“What is that, Jay?” Despite the fact Andrej refused to be as unadventurous as Zayne, he had learned to be cautious as well. His desire to try and learn all things American had gotten him into trouble a time or two in the past.
“Chinese liquor,” James said, catching the waiter’s attention.
The young man came towards their table and smiled. “Can I get something to drink for you tonight?”
“Yes, Maotai all around,” James said. “And a beer for each of us as well please.”
Their server nodded as he scribbled the request onto a small notepad. “Any appetizers?”
James looked at Andrej. Shaking his head, Zeklos said, “This was your suggestion, Jay. You make the choices.” He gave Reyes a stern look. “And ignore whatever Zayne might say.”
“Hey,” the cowboy whined. “That’s not nice.”
“Fried dumplings,” James said, giving the cowboy a bit of side-eye. “Mixed plate.”
Nodding, the server wrote that down, too. “Are you ready to order your dinner as well or do you need a few minutes?”
After another nod from Andrej, James ordered a selection of entrees, each one making Zayne’s face twist and turn in a million directions. Secretly, Zeklos was impressed at how easily the Chinese words slipped off James’ tongue, even if he knew the ginger was using the authentic names so that Zayne didn’t know what he was ordering. On the other hand, having shared many meals with the Texan, Andrej couldn’t blame James for not wanting constant feedback over every item he requested. Their waiter finished the order and disappeared, reappearing moments later with their liquor and beers.
Lifting his shot glass, James looked at the two men seated across from him. “Pick up your drinks, boys,” he said, grinning.
With a look of uncertainty, Zayne lifted his shot glass. “What are we celebrating again?”
“Nothing,” James said, shrugging. “Just us, I guess.”
“A perfectly acceptable reason to celebrate,” Andrej said, lifting his glass and smiling at James.
“I suppose,” Zayne muttered. He brought the shot glass near his nose, gave it a sniff. “Oh god,” he spluttered, face contorting. “That smells nasty. Like nail polish remover. I’m not drinking it, nope. No way.”
“Aw,” James teased. “And here I thought you had a sense of adventure. You disappoint me, cowboy.”
Zayne frowned. “You’re an asshole,” he said.
“Zayne,” Andrej interrupted. “Behave. James, that goes for you, too. This was Jay’s choice, Zayne, and we’ll honor it.”
“What Andy said,” James agreed. “Besides, he ate a bacon cheeseburger for you last time we had a group date night. The least you can do is try this for me.”
Sighing, Zayne gave in. “Fine, but if I don’t like it, I’m not drinking any more of it.”
“That’s fair,” James agreed. “To us then?”
“To all of us,” Zayne and Andrej replied, tossing their shots back.
Andrej shook his head and looked at James, smiling. “That was different,” he said, reaching for the bottle of beer in front of him, desperate to wash the odd taste of it out of his mouth.
“It’s disgusting,” Zayne clarified. “Tastes like soy sauce! I mean, gross. They should have floated some rice and Kung Pao chicken in it, too.” Reyes gave a mock shudder at the thought of it.
Laughter rolled out of the redhead, filling the space around them. “Yeah,” he said, barely holding himself together. “It does. Like soy sauce flavored vodka.”
“Why did you give this to me,” Zayne cried. “I swear that tequila we shared last weekend was bad, but it wasn’t worth this kind of payback.”
Zeklos reached around Zayne’s back and leaned close. “I think he was putting one over on us, is that correct?” He looked from Reyes’ disgruntled face to James’ amused one, both handsome in their various emotional states. “You knew this stuff was horrible, didn’t you?”
James nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. “The guy who introduced me to it said it was an acquired tasted. I always thought you had to lose a few taste buds first.” He held his hand out across the table in Zayne’s direction. “I’m sorry, cowboy, but I couldn’t resist. Forgive me?”
Growling, Zayne took James’ hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. “For now,” he said. “But I can’t get mad, I would have done the same to you. Is the beer safe?”
“The beer is fantastic,” Andrej said, taking another sip.
“There you go,” James laughed. “Andy says it’s great.”
The dumplings arrived and Zayne reached without thinking into the pile, bringing the first one he grabbed to his mouth. “Wait,” he said, pulling the unbitten appetizer out from between his lips. “You ordered a mixed plate, what the hell does that entail?”
“Pork, chicken,” James said. “And seafood.”
“Okay, I can deal with that,” Zayne said, taking a big bite out of the dumpling and chewing.
“What kind of seafood,” Andrej asked, picking one out for himself.
“Octopus,” James deadpanned.
Zayne gagged. Chewed, gagged again, and then swallowed. “Please tell me that was a joke. I’m not eating something that can crab walk its way back up my throat.”
Instead of answering, James took a bite of dumpling and chewed, slowly.
“Narco,” Zayne snarled. “If you don’t answer me…”
“Zayne,” Andrej said, attempting to defuse the situation. “What did your dumpling taste like?”
Frowning, he thought for a moment. “Pork, I think. Kind of like the ones you used to make for me sometimes.”
“So, it’s safe to say it wasn’t octopus?”
“Jay,” Andrej scolded. “Stop inciting him, please.”
“Oh-kay,” James sighed, the grin on his face not lessening one iota. “They’re actually just shrimp, cowboy. Last I heard, you like shrimp.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Reyes grumbled, grabbing another dumpling and dipping it into the sauce. “As long as it doesn’t taste like octopus, I don’t care.”
Andrej had to admit that this sudden pickiness was a recent development. During the length of their partnership, Zayne had shown up on more than one late night, often uninvited, looking for dinner. Reyes had always eaten whatever Andrej had fed him without complaint. Correction – he regularly complained about the lack of meat in whatever he was eating, but never about the other components in the meal. It made him wonder if all this fuss was for James’ benefit. Looking up from his empty plate, Zeklos caught James watching him, pale blue eyes intent.
There was something simmering just behind those ice blue eyes that made Andrej smile. James was onto Reyes’ antics and apparently, it was game on. One of these days, they’d figure out who the true alpha male was, settle into their roles and quit with all this posturing, but today was not to be that day. Out of the corner of his eye, Andrej saw the waiter returning with their entrees and prepared for round two.
It was going to be a long night.
Zayne’s nose scrunched as the waiter came nearer. “What on earth is that smell?”
“Stinky tofu,” James deadpanned. “It tastes a lot better than it smells, trust me.”
“Not sure I can,” Zayne snorted, “if you’re trying to feed me something called stinky tofu, narco.”
Resisting the urge to stop the argument, Andrej reminded himself that they were testing the waters and forced himself to ignore their banter. Truthfully, the longer they baited one another, the hotter the sex would be later and he was always the winner in that battle. As long as their guns remained holstered and no fists began to fly, he could cope with the bickering. “What else did you order, Jay?”
Those blue eyes lit up, warming Andrej’s insides. “Other than the tofu,” James joked, pointing to the plate of fried bean curd. “I thought I’d give the cowboy a break and chose some ribs and then, for you baby, I got the braised eggplant.”
The look of disdain on Reyes’ face slowly faded. “Okay, and those look like oysters,” he said pointing at the obvious. “But what’s this? Please tell me you didn’t order frog.”
Grinning, James shook his head. “No frog, not this time anyway, Zayne. That is actually what’s called drunken crab.”
“And the orange glop?” One dark eyebrow rose, accentuating the shimmering green eye beneath it.
“Crab roe,” Andrej replied, trying to hide his smile. That was one thing that had always turned Zayne’s stomach – caviar.
“Okay,” he said, trying to look as serious as he could. “I’ll eat the eggplant, but ya’ll can have the unborn crab.”
“You ordered that on purpose,” Zeklos accused lightly. “You know he can’t handle caviar, Jay.”
“I know,” the redhead smirked. “But it’s so good, Andy, and I know you’ll love it.”
“He can have it,” Zayne said. “Why is the waiter bringing more food?”
James looked behind him and grinned. “Ah, here we go,” he said. “This is the one thing I knew you had to experience while we were here.”
“What is it,” Zayne asked, watching the waiter put the bowl down in front of him.
“Street noodles,” James said. “Just like they serve in Shanghai. I got you pork because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about Spam. Eat up, cowboy.”
Zayne put his fork down and stared at the ginger. “I can’t figure you out, you know. One minute you’re making me crazy and the next, the next you’re doing something like this.” He used his chin to point at the bowl of noodles in front of him. “And that makes me want to ask you a dumb ass question.”
James made a face. “What dumb ass question would that be?”
“Do you do this shit because you love to piss me off or do you do it because you’re a man child and don’t know how else to tell me you actually like me?”
“That’s actually not a dumb ass question, cowboy,” James said, scooping a forkful of the drunken crab up and popping it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, swallowed and then answered. “I’ll admit, in the beginning, back before Andy and I actually started dating, I was an ass because I was jealous of the relationship you two had.”
James glanced his way and Andrej felt his stomach sink. The redhead had also known that Zeklos had been very much smitten with Zayne back then, too. It hadn’t deterred James, however, and he’d given everything he had to draw Andrej’s attention his way. As attached to Zayne as Zek had been back then, the promise of a real relationship, one with mutual desire and appreciation had won out over his schoolboy crush. Even now, all these months later, he was still shocked that he had not just James, but Zayne too.
“There wasn’t anything there to be jealous of,” Zayne said, eyeing the oysters warily before picking one up.
“Oh yes there was,” James joked. “He was beyond in love with you, you know. And despite all your protests to the contrary, it was pretty obvious to anyone who paid enough attention that you were just as hot for him.”
For the first time since dinner began, Zayne was without words. Andrej gave his hand a squeeze, letting him know that it was all in the past and the here and now was all that mattered. “All of that makes very good sense in a high school sort of way,” Andrej said, looking from one boyfriend to the other. “But why do you continue to taunt him?”
James dragged his fork through the food on his plate. “Probably for the same reason he gives me the same sort of crap right back: it’s fun to rile him up.”
“The narco’s right about that,” Zayne agreed, grinning.
“You two are incorrigible,” Andrej sighed. “But the food is delicious, Jay. You made an excellent choice.”
“Hate to admit it,” Zayne said, winking at the redhead, “but Zek’s right. Aside from that funky smelling tofu shit, the food’s great.”
“You should try the tofu, Zayne,” Andrej said, spearing a piece with his fork and holding it out. “It’s actually quite tasty once you get past the smell.”
“Whatever,” Reyes said, holding a hand up between his mouth and Zeklos’ fork. “If I say I believe you, will you leave me alone?”
“Cut him some slack, Andy,” James said, defending the Texan. “He’s been tortured enough for one night.”
“Thank you,” Zayne said, giving Andrej a wicked look. “So, does this mean that we can go get dessert after this?”
“Wait, you don’t want a traditional Shanghai dessert, Zayne?”
“Sorry, narco,” Zayne said, pulling a face. “But my tummy’s screaming for a big ol’ ice cream sundae.”
“I think he’s hinting at something,” James said, flicking his eyes towards Andrej.
“Yes,” Zeklos agreed. “Are you up for a drive, Jay? Because there’s only one thing that’s going to quell his sundae craving.”
“Peppermill?” James’ blue eyes went wide. Hopeful.
Andrej sighed. “Peppermill.” Just when he thought they’d reached a level of maturity, both of his boys turned right back into children.
“YES,” Zayne shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Then, more quietly, “I vote for marshmallow.”
“You would,” James laughed, waving for the waiter to bring their check. “You guys ready?”
“I’m always ready for dessert,” Zayne said, surprising no one.
“I’ll go get the car,” Andrej said, shaking his head at his two partners. “Jay, you get the check and Zayne, sit and behave yourself or no ice cream.”
“Yes, daddy,” Zayne mocked.
“I think I just lost my appetite,” James cracked. “You are such a weirdo.”
“I am not,” Zayne said, shaking a finger at the redhead. “Remember what you said yesterday about…”
Andrej tuned them out again, pulling his keys from his pocket and leaving the restaurant. They weren’t ever going to change, not even once they figured out where they both sat in the hierarchy of this bizarre relationship they had. But, as much as he loathed to accept the truth, there was a bit of comfort in knowing what to expect. And whenever Zayne and James were in the same room, the thing to expect was complete and utter disregard for polite conversation.
But again, in the end, he reaped the rewards of their friendly posturing. And that was something they could hash out later, in the privacy of their shared bedroom.
xx
End note: Peppermill is a restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip that, when you step inside, looks like some lounge from the 1970’s. It’s awesome in its leather and neon. They’re known for their giant ass, takes two people to eat it all, sundaes. Although, I have no doubt Zayne would take a page out of my friend, Chris’, book and eat the entire damn thing himself.
Sort of continues here.
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos/James Rosewood/Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,700
Summary: James invites Andy and Zayne out on a dinner date, wherein Zayne is a baby, James is a jerk, and Andrej wishes he were anywhere but there.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. My prompt was from July 15th, so this is more than a little late. But when it comes to food, I sometimes get carried away. My prompt was Shanghai dumplings and the theme was bizarre foods so, of course I had to research what kind of weird things they serve in Shanghai, right?
“What is this place,” Zayne asked, dropping into the empty seat next to Andrej.
“It’s a Shanghai-inspired Chinese restaurant serving both traditional and new world versions of their most popular dishes.”
“The narco picked this place, didn’t he?” Zayne made a face and reached for a menu from the pile sitting in the middle of the table. “It looks like the kind of place he’d suggest.”
“Yes, he did,” Andrej confirme, taking the menu Zayne handed him. “He believed it to be a safe choice considering how much you enjoy your Chinese food.”
“But that’s not the same thing,” Zayne protested. “The stuff we eat out of those cardboard containers? That’s Americanized Chinese food, not the real stuff. I mean, they serve frog, Zek. Frog. I thought only the French ate frogs.”
Zeklos closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. “Zayne, it’s not only traditional Chinese food,” he repeated. “There are also more familiar items. Chicken. Duck. Those dumplings you’re so fond of eating.”
“Not to mention grilled oysters and stinky tofu,” James added, stealing the chair directly across from Andrej.
“You’re not helping, Jay,” Zeklos said, giving the redhead a look. Why did his boyfriends feel the need to constantly antagonize one another?
“What the hell is stinky tofu?” Zayne scrunched his face up in disgust, glaring at the man on the other side of the table. “On second thought, never mind. I don’t care what it is, I’m not eating it.”
“It’s fermented tofu, crusted and tossed in some very yummy things. Stinky tofu is also a Shanghai specialty.” James lifted the remaining menu from the table and nodded when he spotted it on the menu. “We should order some.”
“No,” Zayne said, “we should not.”
“What we should do,” James said, ignoring Zayne completely, “is hail our server and order some Maotai.”
“What is that, Jay?” Despite the fact Andrej refused to be as unadventurous as Zayne, he had learned to be cautious as well. His desire to try and learn all things American had gotten him into trouble a time or two in the past.
“Chinese liquor,” James said, catching the waiter’s attention.
The young man came towards their table and smiled. “Can I get something to drink for you tonight?”
“Yes, Maotai all around,” James said. “And a beer for each of us as well please.”
Their server nodded as he scribbled the request onto a small notepad. “Any appetizers?”
James looked at Andrej. Shaking his head, Zeklos said, “This was your suggestion, Jay. You make the choices.” He gave Reyes a stern look. “And ignore whatever Zayne might say.”
“Hey,” the cowboy whined. “That’s not nice.”
“Fried dumplings,” James said, giving the cowboy a bit of side-eye. “Mixed plate.”
Nodding, the server wrote that down, too. “Are you ready to order your dinner as well or do you need a few minutes?”
After another nod from Andrej, James ordered a selection of entrees, each one making Zayne’s face twist and turn in a million directions. Secretly, Zeklos was impressed at how easily the Chinese words slipped off James’ tongue, even if he knew the ginger was using the authentic names so that Zayne didn’t know what he was ordering. On the other hand, having shared many meals with the Texan, Andrej couldn’t blame James for not wanting constant feedback over every item he requested. Their waiter finished the order and disappeared, reappearing moments later with their liquor and beers.
Lifting his shot glass, James looked at the two men seated across from him. “Pick up your drinks, boys,” he said, grinning.
With a look of uncertainty, Zayne lifted his shot glass. “What are we celebrating again?”
“Nothing,” James said, shrugging. “Just us, I guess.”
“A perfectly acceptable reason to celebrate,” Andrej said, lifting his glass and smiling at James.
“I suppose,” Zayne muttered. He brought the shot glass near his nose, gave it a sniff. “Oh god,” he spluttered, face contorting. “That smells nasty. Like nail polish remover. I’m not drinking it, nope. No way.”
“Aw,” James teased. “And here I thought you had a sense of adventure. You disappoint me, cowboy.”
Zayne frowned. “You’re an asshole,” he said.
“Zayne,” Andrej interrupted. “Behave. James, that goes for you, too. This was Jay’s choice, Zayne, and we’ll honor it.”
“What Andy said,” James agreed. “Besides, he ate a bacon cheeseburger for you last time we had a group date night. The least you can do is try this for me.”
Sighing, Zayne gave in. “Fine, but if I don’t like it, I’m not drinking any more of it.”
“That’s fair,” James agreed. “To us then?”
“To all of us,” Zayne and Andrej replied, tossing their shots back.
Andrej shook his head and looked at James, smiling. “That was different,” he said, reaching for the bottle of beer in front of him, desperate to wash the odd taste of it out of his mouth.
“It’s disgusting,” Zayne clarified. “Tastes like soy sauce! I mean, gross. They should have floated some rice and Kung Pao chicken in it, too.” Reyes gave a mock shudder at the thought of it.
Laughter rolled out of the redhead, filling the space around them. “Yeah,” he said, barely holding himself together. “It does. Like soy sauce flavored vodka.”
“Why did you give this to me,” Zayne cried. “I swear that tequila we shared last weekend was bad, but it wasn’t worth this kind of payback.”
Zeklos reached around Zayne’s back and leaned close. “I think he was putting one over on us, is that correct?” He looked from Reyes’ disgruntled face to James’ amused one, both handsome in their various emotional states. “You knew this stuff was horrible, didn’t you?”
James nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes. “The guy who introduced me to it said it was an acquired tasted. I always thought you had to lose a few taste buds first.” He held his hand out across the table in Zayne’s direction. “I’m sorry, cowboy, but I couldn’t resist. Forgive me?”
Growling, Zayne took James’ hand in his own and gave it a squeeze. “For now,” he said. “But I can’t get mad, I would have done the same to you. Is the beer safe?”
“The beer is fantastic,” Andrej said, taking another sip.
“There you go,” James laughed. “Andy says it’s great.”
The dumplings arrived and Zayne reached without thinking into the pile, bringing the first one he grabbed to his mouth. “Wait,” he said, pulling the unbitten appetizer out from between his lips. “You ordered a mixed plate, what the hell does that entail?”
“Pork, chicken,” James said. “And seafood.”
“Okay, I can deal with that,” Zayne said, taking a big bite out of the dumpling and chewing.
“What kind of seafood,” Andrej asked, picking one out for himself.
“Octopus,” James deadpanned.
Zayne gagged. Chewed, gagged again, and then swallowed. “Please tell me that was a joke. I’m not eating something that can crab walk its way back up my throat.”
Instead of answering, James took a bite of dumpling and chewed, slowly.
“Narco,” Zayne snarled. “If you don’t answer me…”
“Zayne,” Andrej said, attempting to defuse the situation. “What did your dumpling taste like?”
Frowning, he thought for a moment. “Pork, I think. Kind of like the ones you used to make for me sometimes.”
“So, it’s safe to say it wasn’t octopus?”
“Jay,” Andrej scolded. “Stop inciting him, please.”
“Oh-kay,” James sighed, the grin on his face not lessening one iota. “They’re actually just shrimp, cowboy. Last I heard, you like shrimp.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Reyes grumbled, grabbing another dumpling and dipping it into the sauce. “As long as it doesn’t taste like octopus, I don’t care.”
Andrej had to admit that this sudden pickiness was a recent development. During the length of their partnership, Zayne had shown up on more than one late night, often uninvited, looking for dinner. Reyes had always eaten whatever Andrej had fed him without complaint. Correction – he regularly complained about the lack of meat in whatever he was eating, but never about the other components in the meal. It made him wonder if all this fuss was for James’ benefit. Looking up from his empty plate, Zeklos caught James watching him, pale blue eyes intent.
There was something simmering just behind those ice blue eyes that made Andrej smile. James was onto Reyes’ antics and apparently, it was game on. One of these days, they’d figure out who the true alpha male was, settle into their roles and quit with all this posturing, but today was not to be that day. Out of the corner of his eye, Andrej saw the waiter returning with their entrees and prepared for round two.
It was going to be a long night.
Zayne’s nose scrunched as the waiter came nearer. “What on earth is that smell?”
“Stinky tofu,” James deadpanned. “It tastes a lot better than it smells, trust me.”
“Not sure I can,” Zayne snorted, “if you’re trying to feed me something called stinky tofu, narco.”
Resisting the urge to stop the argument, Andrej reminded himself that they were testing the waters and forced himself to ignore their banter. Truthfully, the longer they baited one another, the hotter the sex would be later and he was always the winner in that battle. As long as their guns remained holstered and no fists began to fly, he could cope with the bickering. “What else did you order, Jay?”
Those blue eyes lit up, warming Andrej’s insides. “Other than the tofu,” James joked, pointing to the plate of fried bean curd. “I thought I’d give the cowboy a break and chose some ribs and then, for you baby, I got the braised eggplant.”
The look of disdain on Reyes’ face slowly faded. “Okay, and those look like oysters,” he said pointing at the obvious. “But what’s this? Please tell me you didn’t order frog.”
Grinning, James shook his head. “No frog, not this time anyway, Zayne. That is actually what’s called drunken crab.”
“And the orange glop?” One dark eyebrow rose, accentuating the shimmering green eye beneath it.
“Crab roe,” Andrej replied, trying to hide his smile. That was one thing that had always turned Zayne’s stomach – caviar.
“Okay,” he said, trying to look as serious as he could. “I’ll eat the eggplant, but ya’ll can have the unborn crab.”
“You ordered that on purpose,” Zeklos accused lightly. “You know he can’t handle caviar, Jay.”
“I know,” the redhead smirked. “But it’s so good, Andy, and I know you’ll love it.”
“He can have it,” Zayne said. “Why is the waiter bringing more food?”
James looked behind him and grinned. “Ah, here we go,” he said. “This is the one thing I knew you had to experience while we were here.”
“What is it,” Zayne asked, watching the waiter put the bowl down in front of him.
“Street noodles,” James said. “Just like they serve in Shanghai. I got you pork because I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about Spam. Eat up, cowboy.”
Zayne put his fork down and stared at the ginger. “I can’t figure you out, you know. One minute you’re making me crazy and the next, the next you’re doing something like this.” He used his chin to point at the bowl of noodles in front of him. “And that makes me want to ask you a dumb ass question.”
James made a face. “What dumb ass question would that be?”
“Do you do this shit because you love to piss me off or do you do it because you’re a man child and don’t know how else to tell me you actually like me?”
“That’s actually not a dumb ass question, cowboy,” James said, scooping a forkful of the drunken crab up and popping it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, swallowed and then answered. “I’ll admit, in the beginning, back before Andy and I actually started dating, I was an ass because I was jealous of the relationship you two had.”
James glanced his way and Andrej felt his stomach sink. The redhead had also known that Zeklos had been very much smitten with Zayne back then, too. It hadn’t deterred James, however, and he’d given everything he had to draw Andrej’s attention his way. As attached to Zayne as Zek had been back then, the promise of a real relationship, one with mutual desire and appreciation had won out over his schoolboy crush. Even now, all these months later, he was still shocked that he had not just James, but Zayne too.
“There wasn’t anything there to be jealous of,” Zayne said, eyeing the oysters warily before picking one up.
“Oh yes there was,” James joked. “He was beyond in love with you, you know. And despite all your protests to the contrary, it was pretty obvious to anyone who paid enough attention that you were just as hot for him.”
For the first time since dinner began, Zayne was without words. Andrej gave his hand a squeeze, letting him know that it was all in the past and the here and now was all that mattered. “All of that makes very good sense in a high school sort of way,” Andrej said, looking from one boyfriend to the other. “But why do you continue to taunt him?”
James dragged his fork through the food on his plate. “Probably for the same reason he gives me the same sort of crap right back: it’s fun to rile him up.”
“The narco’s right about that,” Zayne agreed, grinning.
“You two are incorrigible,” Andrej sighed. “But the food is delicious, Jay. You made an excellent choice.”
“Hate to admit it,” Zayne said, winking at the redhead, “but Zek’s right. Aside from that funky smelling tofu shit, the food’s great.”
“You should try the tofu, Zayne,” Andrej said, spearing a piece with his fork and holding it out. “It’s actually quite tasty once you get past the smell.”
“Whatever,” Reyes said, holding a hand up between his mouth and Zeklos’ fork. “If I say I believe you, will you leave me alone?”
“Cut him some slack, Andy,” James said, defending the Texan. “He’s been tortured enough for one night.”
“Thank you,” Zayne said, giving Andrej a wicked look. “So, does this mean that we can go get dessert after this?”
“Wait, you don’t want a traditional Shanghai dessert, Zayne?”
“Sorry, narco,” Zayne said, pulling a face. “But my tummy’s screaming for a big ol’ ice cream sundae.”
“I think he’s hinting at something,” James said, flicking his eyes towards Andrej.
“Yes,” Zeklos agreed. “Are you up for a drive, Jay? Because there’s only one thing that’s going to quell his sundae craving.”
“Peppermill?” James’ blue eyes went wide. Hopeful.
Andrej sighed. “Peppermill.” Just when he thought they’d reached a level of maturity, both of his boys turned right back into children.
“YES,” Zayne shouted, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Then, more quietly, “I vote for marshmallow.”
“You would,” James laughed, waving for the waiter to bring their check. “You guys ready?”
“I’m always ready for dessert,” Zayne said, surprising no one.
“I’ll go get the car,” Andrej said, shaking his head at his two partners. “Jay, you get the check and Zayne, sit and behave yourself or no ice cream.”
“Yes, daddy,” Zayne mocked.
“I think I just lost my appetite,” James cracked. “You are such a weirdo.”
“I am not,” Zayne said, shaking a finger at the redhead. “Remember what you said yesterday about…”
Andrej tuned them out again, pulling his keys from his pocket and leaving the restaurant. They weren’t ever going to change, not even once they figured out where they both sat in the hierarchy of this bizarre relationship they had. But, as much as he loathed to accept the truth, there was a bit of comfort in knowing what to expect. And whenever Zayne and James were in the same room, the thing to expect was complete and utter disregard for polite conversation.
But again, in the end, he reaped the rewards of their friendly posturing. And that was something they could hash out later, in the privacy of their shared bedroom.
xx
End note: Peppermill is a restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip that, when you step inside, looks like some lounge from the 1970’s. It’s awesome in its leather and neon. They’re known for their giant ass, takes two people to eat it all, sundaes. Although, I have no doubt Zayne would take a page out of my friend, Chris’, book and eat the entire damn thing himself.
Sort of continues here.
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Date: 2016-08-02 10:49 pm (UTC)Nice job. Loved it.
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Date: 2016-08-02 10:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-29 04:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-29 04:50 pm (UTC)I'd share my peach but um, I finished it.
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Date: 2016-08-29 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-08-29 09:47 pm (UTC)