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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Texas Tornado
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6,389
Summary: Andrej is heartbroken, and Trish decides to take him out for a drink.
Author’s note: Written for the tornado prompt for genprompt-bingo. Also, thanks to Spotify for coughing up a bit of Tracy Lawrence at the right moment. I had no idea what to do with tornado as a prompt until then.
“What on earth happened in here,” Trish asked, picking her way through the mess in the living room. “There are clothes all over your floor, Zeklos.”
Andrej followed her into the house and sighed. “Zayne happened,” he said, surveying the scene. “He had a date tonight and was looking for a particular pair of jeans.”
“Okay,” Trish said, toeing at a pair of brightly colored underwear. “And how does that have anything to do with the mess on your floor right now?”
Bending down to pick up the shirt at his feet, Andrej sighed. “Zayne could not find them at his place,” he explained. “I told him that I believed they were here, however I was not at home.”
“Because you were with me,” Trish surmised.
“I was,” he confirmed with a smile. “I told Zayne to look in the laundry basket I had on the dryer because I had just finished a load before I left to meet you. He is always leaving clothes here.” Which made their relationship sound much more intimate than it actually was.
“I can see that,” Trish said. “Doesn’t he know how to clean up after himself? Looks like a hurricane hit this place.”
“Tornado,” Andrej muttered. A Texas tornado at that. Bigger, louder, and messier than your usual twister. Sexier, also.
“Yeah, that, too,” Trish laughed. “Boy’s a destructive force of nature, that’s for sure.”
Locating the nearly empty laundry basket, Andrej dumped the shirt he was holding into it. “He certainly tears through and leaves devastation in his wake,” Andrej said, grabbing a pair of sweatpants off the coffee table. The bullpen at the station, his living room, his heart.
Andrej realized as he was dropping a pair of brightly colored boxers into the basket that Zayne not only left physical chaos behind him, but emotional as well. Seeing the lengths Zayne went to in order to look good for the woman du jour caused an ache in his chest. He shook it off, forcing himself to focus on the mess left behind instead of the whirlwind of sex and charm that had caused it. There would be plenty of time later to mourn what never could be. Right now, he had company.
Trish dumped an armful of Zayne’s clothes into the basket. “You want to go get a drink? You look like you could use one.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head despite his desire to say yes. “I have a lot to do and –”
“If part of what you have to do is fold Reyes’ laundry, I’m going to smack you,” Trish said without a trace of heat to her words. “Come on, I know how badly this has to be beating you up right now. There’s a bar a couple blocks from here with cheap drinks, good music, and a really cute bartender.”
Andrej looked up at her, knowing she was talking about Elias. “No, that I cannot do, Trish. Eli, he – he is not very fond of me these days.”
“Baloney,” she said, taking the full laundry basket from him. “He was asking about you last night. I think he recognized Hilary as being Zayne’s ex.”
That was news to him. “Why were you and Hilary in a bar last night?”
“Same reason you and I are headed back tonight: Reyes.” She hefted the basket and gave him a look. “Let me put this back in the laundry room and then I’ll take you out for a few. And then,” she gave him an evil grin before continuing, “you can call Reyes drunk off your ass and ask him to take you home.”
“That is not wise,” he called after her retreating backside.
“Why? It’s not like you haven’t already kissed the boy,” she teased, returning from the laundry room.
“That was different,” Andrej said. “We were undercover the first time and I was drugged the second.” Sure, Zayne had found out he was gay during that assignment, and even that he had a little crush on the obnoxious Texan. But as far as he knew, Zayne did not – could not – know how much in love with him he was.
“Besides, this is payback for all the times you had to leave your comfy chair to pick his drunk ass up.”
Andrej couldn’t dispute it because she was correct. “I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Andrej hedged. Although he did wonder if Zayne would be even slightly jealous seeing him out with Trish, the possibility of getting caught flirting with Eli flitting through his thoughts.
“It’s probably not,” Trish agreed, slipping her arm through his and tugging. “But mistakes are meant to be made, right?”
“No,” he said, allowing her to lead him out of his house and to her car. “I am not sure that is right.”
“I guess we’ll know in the morning, huh,” she laughed. “But right now? Margaritas are on me, Zek. Let’s go have some fun.”
**
“Are you sure you want another, papi,” Elias asked. He had one elbow on the bar, a smirk firmly planted on his luscious mouth. It had been way too long since Andrej had seen his handsome face and realized how foolish he’d been in letting him go.
“Load him up,” Trish said, sipping her glass of white wine. “I drove him here so he’s not going to do anything stupid.”
“That is what you think,” Andrej muttered. If he kept drinking like this, he was liable to do something incredibly dumb before the night was over. Question was, would that mistake involve Zayne or Elias? A fleeting thought crossed his mind and dropped the idea of doing something inadvisable with both Zayne and Eli before it skittered away into the darkness.
“Oh,” he muttered, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. “No, no, no.”
“What,” Trish asked, suddenly on alert. “Did you see someone?”
“No,” he said, laughing. “The alcohol is starting to affect me, I think, because my mind is wandering to places it does not usually go.”
“Mmm,” Trish said, sipping her wine. “I can relate to that.”
“Okay,” Elias said, setting the margarita down in front of Andrej. “This is your last, you hear me? I think three was always your limit anyway.”
Andrej looked at his drink and sighed. He’d stopped drinking when he came to the states for a reason. But ever since he’d kissed Zayne out of desperation a few months prior, he’d started up again. Too much had happened since they closed that case and it was starting to weigh on him. It was probably a good thing he couldn’t get his hands on the plum brandy from his homeland very easily or he might not have a job for long.
“Thank you for watching out for me, Eli,” he said, picking up the glass and taking a sip.
“Anytime,” he said. “I know what kind of a jackass your partner can be and anytime I can help?” He shrugged and made his way down the bar.
“Why’d you dump him anyway,” Trish asked, leaning in close so that their conversation was more private. “He’s really sweet.”
“I did not,” Andrej said, swallowing hard on the last word. He lifted his glass to his mouth and drained half the contents.
“Oh,” Trish said, sitting back. “I’m – I’m sorry. Hilary said that Zayne – oh, shit. Never mind. I should have known better than to trust anything Reyes said.”
It still hurt to think about the way Elias had left him that night. Not that he disagreed with Eli’s decision, because he completely understood, even if he hated himself for it in the end. “It is fine,” he eventually said. “It is not your fault that I messed things up so badly.”
“You didn’t do a thing wrong,” Elias said, reaching across the bar and squeezed Andrej’s hand briefly. “The timing was not right, si?”
“Da,” Andrej replied automatically. There was a time when they’d made a game out of speaking to one another in their native languages. He’d been surprised to see how much Spanish had had in common with Romanian. “Yes,” he corrected, making Elias smile.
“I think it’s time for you to go home,” Elias said, gently. “Do you want me to call someone or are you going to go with your friend?”
Andrej looked at Trish and noticed she was smiling at a brunette with full, red lips, a few tables away. “Maybe I ought to call Zayne,” he muttered, wishing Trish hadn’t spotted the woman and immediately regretted his selfishness. Trish deserved someone just as much as anyone did.
“I don’t think he is your best choice,” Elias said. “Is there no one else?”
There was Hilary, but he was pretty certain she was on a date as well. He thought about the handsome, redheaded detective he’d recently run into but scratched the idea immediately. They did not know each other well enough for a drunken, late night rescue call. “Not tonight, Eli, I am sorry.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. Andrej dialed Zayne, waited, and hung up.
“No answer,” Elias asked, brow furrowed.
“No,” he said, trying not to roll his eyes. It wasn’t surprising in the least that Zayne hadn’t picked up. It was Friday night after all and he was on a date. “I will try again.”
He redialed, waited, and got the same result. This time, however, he left a brief message asking Zayne to call back because he needed a favor.
“Honey,” Elias said, leaning over the bar and taking both of Andrej’s hands into his own. “I get off in half an hour. If you can hold it together that long, I will take you home.”
“No,” he protested. “You do not have to do that.”
“But I want to,” Elias said, giving his hands a last squeeze before letting go. “And if your partner calls you back before then, well, he can come retrieve you.”
“Hey,” Trish said, sliding back onto her stool. “You call Reyes yet?”
Andrej looked at her for a moment before chastising himself. He’d not even realized she’d gotten up. Yeah, he was definitely farther gone than he thought. “No, I have not. He will not answer his phone.”
Trish made a face and glanced at the woman she’d been eyeing a bit ago. “Let me try…”
“Do not bother,” he said, not even caring if his voice gave him away. “He will not answer.”
“I have offered to give him a ride, detective,” Elias said. “I promise to make sure he gets home safely.”
Smiling, Trish winked at him. “And what happens when you get him home?”
Eli gave her an innocent smile and walked off towards the far end of the bar.
“I like him,” Trish said. “Are you sure about this? Because I can –”
“Yes,” he lied, cutting her off before she could regret her choices. “Please, go talk to your new friend and have a good time.”
“Okay,” she said. “But only because I know what the bartender says is true. You’d have never gotten involved with him before otherwise. I’m still calling your asshole of a partner though.” Trish kissed him on the cheek and returned to where her new friend waited.
“Half an hour, papi,” Eli said. “No more, I promise.”
**
“I am fine,” Andrej said as Elias steered him towards the car. “I can walk on my own.” Although, he wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not. It was hard to tell.
“That’s debatable,” Elias chuckled as Andrej stumbled into him again. “You are not very steady on your feet.”
“Hey,” a voice shouted from behind them. “Where the hell do you think you’re taking him?”
Andrej turned and saw Zayne jogging towards them. “Zayne,” he began. He held his arms out and then realized what he was doing. They dropped to his sides heavily.
“Nah, I’m not asking you, Zek,” Zayne said. “I’m asking him.”
“He is taking me home,” Andrej said, pulling away from Elias and approaching Zayne on wobbly legs. “And before you ask why, maybe check your voice mail.” He poked ineffectively at Zayne’s broad chest with a finger.
Zayne frowned at him, caught the poking finger in his hand. “I did, that’s why I’m here. Trish left me one hell of a nasty message, Zeklos.”
Of course she had. “I told her not to call you. I am sorry. But I need to go home now.”
“Fine, let’s go.” Zayne held his hand out in the direction of his truck.
“No.” Andrej crossed his arms over his chest, swaying backwards a tad.
“What the hell do you mean by no?” Zayne took a step towards him. “You call me to come get you or, rather, you have Rollins do it. But now that I’m here, you say no?”
“I called you two hours ago, Zayne,” Andrej said all the hurt he’d been feeling building up and overflowing into his words.
Unfortunately, Eli’s promised half an hour had fallen through when a large group came in after a rehearsal dinner. For better or for worse, Andrej had moved from the bar to a table to wait, and the waitress serving him hadn’t known that Eli had cut him off. So, yeah, he’d had more than usual and definitely more than he should have.
“I was busy,” Zayne said, pouting. “It’s Friday, Zek, you know how it goes.”
“Yes, we know,” Elias said, unlocking his car and opening the door for Andrej. “You had a date, no? Andrej, please.”
“I am coming,” he said, not sure that he wanted either of them to take him home now.
“Zek, please,” Zayne said. “I came all the way over here to get you because Trish yelled at me.”
“Trish shamed you,” Elias corrected. “Which makes all of this,” he waved his hand between them, “even worse.”
“Oh stuff it,” Zayne snapped. “I’m here, let me take you home, Zek.”
“Are you going to clean up the clothes you scattered all of my living room,” he asked, eyes darting to Zayne’s long, strong legs. “I see you found the jeans you were looking for.”
“What?” Zayne looked down at his legs and then back up at Andrej. “Yeah, I found them and I’m sorry I left a mess, but I was running late.”
“Sure you were,” Andrej muttered. “Anything to not clean up after yourself.”
“Whatever,” Zayne said, waving Andrej’s accusations away. He knew his flaws and he wasn’t about to hash them out in the middle of the parking lot with his drunken partner. No, his completely wasted partner. “Let’s go home and I’ll clean up the mess I left, okay?”
“You know he’s already cleaned it up by now,” Elias said, leaning against the hood of his car. “He’d never leave the house knowing it was a disaster.”
Zayne frowned because he knew the bartender was right. “Where the hell is Rollins anyway? Why didn’t she stick around to take you home considering she’s the reason you’re here anyway?”
“She met someone,” Andrej said, giving them a sad look. “Exactly like everyone else I know.” Everyone but him, that was. “And they left together. Eli –”
“Go,” Elias said, waving him off. The anguish on Andrej’s face was more than he could bear. “But you had better not upset him, detective.” Eli glared at Zayne, willing his point home.
“Yeah, yeah,” Zayne said, waving a hand at the bartender. “He’s my partner, I know how to take care of him.”
“If that were the truth,” Elias muttered, “he wouldn’t have been here alone tonight, drinking more than I’ve ever seen.”
Zayne started to respond when Andrej stumbled. “Okay, Zek, time to get you in my truck and home.” He opened the passenger door of his trusty old truck and helped his partner inside. Reaching across Zeklos, he latched the seatbelt. Looking up, he saw Zek staring down at him with blurry eyes. “What?”
A smile tugged at the corners of Andrej’s mouth. “You smell good, Zayne.”
“Yeah, well, you know,” Zayne hedged. Last thing he wanted to tell his inebriated partner was that he’d been hooking up with a cute blonde from the Bath and Body Works at the mall before coming to rescue him.
“Your date has good taste in perfumes,” Andrej continued. “Vanilla and raspberries and it’s very fitting.” He chuckled and touched Zayne’s face lightly with the tip of a finger. “Although, I do like how you normally smell, all citrus and spice.”
Zayne snorted. “You can thank Hilary for that. She’s the one who started buying that shit for me. Said she was tired of me smelling like Old Spice. Okay, enough chatter, let’s get you home, baby.”
Andrej watched Zayne shut the door and make his way to the driver’s side. Zayne climbed inside and started the truck, giving his partner a worried look.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Andrej said. “I am fine.”
“You’re drunk off your ass, baby, and that worries me,” Zayne replied. He pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards Andrej’s house. “This isn’t like you and I don’t know what to think. Trish said it was my fault, but I don’t know what the hell I could have done, I’ve been on a date all night.”
Instead of answering, Andrej stared out the side window, watching the night fly by. “Trish should not have blamed you, it is my fault in the end. Not yours or hers or Eli’s.”
“Well, if I knew why she thought it was my fault, maybe I wouldn't be so pissed right now,” he said, fingers gripping the steering wheel. “But since I have no clue, I’m rather annoyed, Zek.”
“I am sorry,” Andrej said as Zayne pulled into his driveway. He reached for his door handle and glanced at Zayne. “I can put myself to bed.” Tired and heartbroken, he was done asking others to help him.
“Like hell you can,” Zayne grumbled. “Rollins will have my ass if I don’t make sure you get inside and to bed safely. Not to mention she’ll recruit Hil to help her.”
He got out of the truck and jogged over to grab the door before Andrej could escape. Looping an arm around his partner’s shoulders, he directed them towards the garage door. Andrej slumped against his side while they waited for the garage door to rise. Zayne looked down at him and shook his head. He really wished he had even the slightest idea what had gotten into Zeklos. The boy rarely drank and, even when he did, Zayne hadn’t ever really seen him drunk before.
Once inside, Zayne helped Andrej get his shoes off before guiding him towards his bedroom, noting that Elias had been correct. The disaster he’d left in Zeklos’ living room was gone. Knowing that his carelessness had likely played into Andrej’s mood made him feel awful. Too late to do anything about that now, but he could try harder in the future.
Andrej flopped back onto the mattress and groaned. Zayne grinned and helped him get situated on the bed.
“You want me to help you get into some pajamas?” He stood, hands on hips, gazing down at his wasted partner.
“No,” Andrej said, draping an arm over his eyes. “I will be okay like this.”
“Come on,” Zayne said, hauling Andrej upright again. “You know you’ll be annoyed with yourself in the morning if you sleep in your clothes.” He grabbed the hem of Andrej’s shirt and pulled it over his head. Tossing it into the dirty clothes basket, Zayne grabbed a soft, clean t-shirt out of the dresser. Unfolding it, he realized it was one of his. “Hey, when did you start pilfering my clothes, baby?”
Andrej looked up and squinted at the shirt Zayne was holding. “I did not pilfer it, you left it here.”
“Mmm,” Zayne murmured. “Maybe, but I know I didn’t leave it in your dresser. Here, arms up, let’s get you changed so you can pass out.”
Reluctantly, Andrej allowed Zayne to help him into his shirt then, embarrassingly, into a pair of pajama pants. The only benefit to his current state of drunkenness was that his body couldn’t betray the feelings that Zayne’s touch inspired. Small favors, he thought.
When he laid back down, he could see those beautiful green eyes smiling down at him. “I am sorry,” he said. “I ruined your date.”
“No, you didn’t, trust me.” Zayne tugged the covers up to Andrej’s chin and pressed a kiss to his partner’s forehead. “I’ll explain it all in the morning, but you didn’t ruin anything.”
“Are you sure,” Andrej asked, even as his eyes were slamming closed.
“Positive,” Zayne said, brushing a hand across the top of Andrej’s head. “Go to sleep.”
“Will you stay,” Andrej asked sleepily.
“Yeah, of course I will,” Zayne said, startled by the request. “Sure thing.” He had no one to go home to after all, he might as well stay with his partner. If nothing else, at least he’d get breakfast in the morning.
“You have clean pajamas in the basket of clothes you upended in my living room,” he muttered, rolling onto his side, and snuggling into his pillow. “Trish returned it to the laundry room.”
“Thanks,” Zayne said, watching as Andrej drifted off into an alcohol-induced slumber.
He left Andrej and stripped in the laundry room, dropping his clothes into the washing machine directly. In the morning, he’d get one of the clean outfits Zeklos kept in the spare room for him. For now, however, he was relegated to sleeping in an ancient pair of Longhorns sweats. Zayne started reaching for a shirt and decided against it. He wasn’t used to sleeping in much more than a pair of boxer shorts, so the sweats would nearly be more than he could handle. A shirt would smother him.
“Zek will understand,” he muttered, heading back into his partner’s bedroom.
He crossed to the far side of the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Setting his wallet and cell phone on the nightstand, he nearly knocked over a stack of paperbacks. Zayne looked over at Andrej and realized he’d collapsed on the wrong side of the bed, which made him smile. His partner was a serious creature of habit and would be quite unsettled when he woke on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.
Shaking his head, Zayne straightened the books so that they were as neat as they were before he’d knocked into them. The cover of the top book caught his eye. He picked it up and frowned. It featured a dark-haired cowboy wearing a Stetson and a badge. Flipping it over, he read the blurb on the back and sighed. When did Zeklos start reading cowboy romance novels? Especially ones with cowboy cops in them? He picked up the others in the stack and looked at each cover, finding a similar scene on each. It was crazy enough to think that level-headed Zeklos was reading romance, but this particular brand of ridiculousness bugged him, and he couldn’t figure out why.
He flipped a random book open and nearly choked. “Sleeping with two men doesn’t make you a slut,” he read in disbelief. “What the actual hell, baby? You got plans you’re not telling me about?” He cut his eyes in the direction of his passed-out partner and sighed. These novels were even worse than he’d expected and that shocked the hell out of him.
“It’s none of your business, Reyes,” he reminded himself, setting Andrej’s books back on the nightstand. He laid down and pulled the covers up, closing his eyes. There was something going on, but he wasn’t sure what. But he was positive that Trish knew. They were going to have one serious conversation here soon, whether she liked it or not. He couldn’t stand to see Zeklos so… lost.
**
“Zayne,” Andrej said, shaking the handsome Texan gently. “Wake up.”
Forcing his eyes open, Zayne blinked in the early morning light. “What’s wrong? You okay?”
“Why are you in my bed,” Andrej asked, his hands still gripping Zayne’s biceps.
“You don’t remember,” Zayne said, one corner of his mouth curling upwards. A hint of pink colored Andrej’s cheeks, stirring something deep in Zayne that he didn’t understand. Pushing it aside temporarily, he patted his partner’s hand. “You asked me to stay after I brought you home from the bar last night.”
Andrej’s eyes went wide for a moment, then closed in humiliation. “That would explain why I have seven texts from Eli on my phone,” he sighed.
Zayne thought there was a hint of pleasure hidden amongst the relief he heard in Zeklos’ voice, which made his stomach roll. “That little tart threatened me last night, Zek.”
“He is not a tart,” Andrej snapped. “Now get out of my bed. I need to get up and get dressed.”
“Not what you were saying last night,” Zayne teased. He slid his legs out from under the covers and planted them on the floor. “Hey, Trish said it was my fault you were at the bar together last night. Mind telling me what the fuck that was all about?”
Andrej’s face reddened again, causing him to look away quickly. “She was trying to make you feel bad, do not listen to her,” he said. “Get dressed and go home. I am going to shower, and I will see you on Monday.”
Zayne hesitated for a moment, then rose to his feet and walked out of the bedroom, leaving his partner to his ablutions. He stopped by the laundry room and stripped naked, leaving his pajamas in the washer with his other clothes. It was going to piss Zeklos off, but he didn’t care. Someone was going to have to explain to him what he was missing and soon. Finding clean clothes in Andrej’s spare room, Zayne changed and went into the dining room. He’d planned on tugging his boots onto his feet and getting the hell out of there, but for some reason, he was frozen to the stool.
The rumbling of his stomach brought him back to the present. “Food,” he muttered. “I’ll go get us food and then beat it out of him if I have to.”
Andrej was making coffee when Zayne returned. “I told you to go home,” he said, both angry and happy to see his partner’s gorgeous face.
“I went and got us food,” he said, setting a white paper bag down on the counter between them. “I also took your disgusting healthy eating habits into consideration and went to the coffee shop on the corner and not the food truck that I like. So, there’s an egg white and spinach breakfast sandwich on a whole wheat bagel in there for you.”
Zeklos looked at him for a moment before grabbing the bag and opening it. He began to pull food out and set it on the counter. “Thank you, Zayne.”
“I brought us coffee, too,” he added, holding up the cardboard carrier he still held. “Oh, and I called Hilary.”
“Why did you disturb her so early in the morning?” He pulled two plates out of the cupboard and set them beside the food.
“Because I was pretty damn sure she’d know what Trish was blathering about on my voice mail last night. And you know what? I was right. Also, I’m mad at you, you asshole.”
“Me,” Andrej asked, taken aback by Zayne’s ire. “How could you possibly be angry with me, Zayne?”
“Because you lied to me,” he spat. “Correction: you’ve been lying to me. Present tense.”
Andrej clutched the forks he held in his hand and stared at Zayne. “I do not lie, Zayne.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “After all that shit that happened at the Heartbreaker, you told me you had feelings for me. A crush.” Zayne shook his head, angry enough to shake Zeklos, but wanting to hug him close more than anything else. “You. Lied.”
“I did not,” Andrej said, feeling a confusing mixture of anger and embarrassment flood his nervous system. “I do care for you, about you, Zayne. It ought to be obvious!”
“Yeah,” Zayne growled, voice low and menacing. “It is obvious because you put up with me even when I don’t deserve it.” He took a step forward, causing Andrej to step backwards towards the sink. “What wasn’t obvious was how much you cared. According to Hilary, you’re in love with me.”
Andrej’s mouth dropped open and he stood there, staring. They’d promised never to tell Zayne the extent of his feelings and yet, Hilary had let the proverbial cat out of the bag. Zayne took another angry step towards him and he took two, quick steps backwards, ass bumping into the counter behind him. “Zayne,” he finally managed. “I –”
“Shut it,” Zayne said.
Zayne was inches away now, angry and fuck, appealing as hell. The alcohol from the night before had apparently filtered out of Andrej’s system because his body was responding with gusto to Zayne’s presence. Zayne’s overly aggressive, macho, and dominating presence. “Zayne, stop.”
“Why,” he asked, a hand gripping the counter on either side of Andrej’s body. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“You are not like me,” Andrej shot back. “You have Hilary and, when you don’t have her, you have every other woman within a thirty-mile radius!” He shoved at Zayne’s chest, not budging the irritated Texan an inch. “There was no point in telling you because you’ll never love me back. Is that what you want to hear? What your ego needs?”
“That’s not fair,” Zayne said, drawing back a bit. “This has nothing to do with my ego and everything to do with the fact you were falling down drunk last night. Something Hilary also said was because of me and the date I had last night.”
Andrej turned his head away from Zayne’s fiery gaze. It was too much truth to deal with while he had a raging hangover.
“Look at me, Zek.”
He forced his eyes forward, wincing when he saw the hurt and confusion on Zayne’s face. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want things to change between us. For you, a schoolboy crush is nothing. You’d laugh it off and we’d get back to work like nothing ever happened.” He sighed and slumped back against the counter a bit. “But something stronger? That would only scare you away.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Zayne protested.
“Yes, it would,” Andrej pressed. “Why do you think you and Hilary cannot stay together? It’s because you love her and she knows it, but the idea of committing to one person – even one as amazing as she is – scares you to death.”
“So, I bolt.”
“So, you bolt,” Andrej agreed. “I did not – could not – let you run from me. And I suffer for that foolish belief every day.”
Zayne stepped back with a sigh. “You should have said something, baby.”
“I couldn’t,” Andrej said.
“But why?”
“Because as much as I would love to have you as my boyfriend, I need you to be my friend more.”
“I’ll never stop being your friend,” he whispered. “You’ve done nothing but prop me up from the day we met. How could I walk away from someone who cooks as good as you do?”
Andrej chuckled at that. “You are a jerk.”
“Yeah,” Zayne said, meeting Andrej’s eyes. “But you love me.”
“God help me, but I do.”
“Are we good,” Zayne asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“We are,” Andrej confirmed.
“Good, because we need to talk about that smutty ass shit you’ve been reading.”
Andrej’s head snapped up. “What?”
“I knocked your pile of books off the nightstand last night. As I was picking them up, I flipped one open and I swear to god, the first line was about how sleeping with two men doesn’t make you a slut.”
“Oh god,” Andrej said, covering his face with his hands.
“Now, I’m not one to judge, but baby, that came as quite a shock.”
“Please, stop talking.”
Zayne grinned. “Answer me one question and I’ll drop it.”
Andrej peeked through his fingers. “What is your question?”
“Does the chick have her guy and her side piece or is she doing them both at once?”
“I – I do not know for sure, Zayne, as I have not gotten to that one yet.” God, he could feel his face flaming from the embarrassment.
“Promise you’ll let me know when you find out,” Zayne teased. “Now,” he said, switching gears much too easily for Andrej’s comfort, “breakfast. Shit’s gotta be cold by now, but what can you do?”
“I do not have any idea any longer,” Andrej muttered. He took his plate from Zayne and made his way out into the living room. Eating on the sofa was not his norm, but he knew Zayne wouldn’t sit at the table, so he compromised.
**
“I can’t say I was expecting you back so soon,” Elias said, a grin spreading across his face as Andrej took a seat at the bar. “And on a Wednesday.”
Andrej shrugged, then put his hands on the edge of the bar top. “I came by to apologize to you for the other night. I was not in a good place and Trish was encouraging all the wrong feelings.”
“I noticed,” Elias said. “Can I get you something?”
“No thank you,” Andrej said, looking embarrassed. “I am not drinking tonight or ever again.”
“Don’t say that,” Elias teased, pulling a bottle of water from a cooler below the bar. “Moderation is key, no?”
“Indeed,” Andrej agreed. He cracked open the seal on the bottle and took the cap off. Setting the cap aside, he took a long swig of the ice-cold water and shook his head. “I really am sorry, mostly for the way Zayne acted.”
“He cares about you,” Eli said, picking up the cap and tossing it into the trash. “Maybe not in the way you want or need, but he does care. I tried to remember that when he was threatening me.”
Andrej winced. “His date did not go the way he wanted it to,” he said, thinking back to what Zayne had told them over their reheated breakfast sandwiches.
“She didn’t put out, I guess?”
Snorting out a laugh, Andrej nodded. “She did not, and he was not happy. So, I apologize on his behalf.”
“No need,” Elias said, tapping the bar with his fingers. “Your redheaded friend is coming this way.”
For half a second, he thought Eli meant James, had almost hoped he meant James. However, Detective Rosewood had no reason to come searching him out and, even if he had, would he have known to look here?
“Andy,” Trish said, sliding onto the barstool beside him. “You are here.”
“I am,” he said. “Hello, Hilary.”
“Hey,” Hilary said, snagging the stool on Andrej’s other side. “I’m sorry for what I told Zayne, but he was kind of losing his damn mind.”
“It is okay,” Andrej said. “He was going to find out eventually, so it is probably better it is out in the open finally.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but as long as you’re not mad at me, I won’t complain.” She smiled at Elias. “Can Trish and I both get a margarita?”
“Of course,” he said, winking and heading off to make the girls’ drinks.
“I’m surprised you’re here,” Hilary said. “After what Zayne told me, I figured you’d have been as far from alcohol as you could get.”
He held up his bottle of water for her to see. “I am not drinking, however I had to apologize to Eli. I was not in the best frame of mind the other night.” He sighed. “And Zayne was awfully rude.”
“Reyes is always rude,” Trish added.
“Forget it, papi,” Elias said, setting the drinks down in front of the girls. “I deal with a lot worse than your overprotective partner on a slow night.” He gave Andrej a smile before moving off to serve another customer.
“Is he flirting with you,” Trish asked. “I think he is, Andy.”
“No, he is not,” Andrej lied. He might miss most overt interest directed his way but with Elias, it was different. Because he knew Eli, he knew that he was – is – interested. After the last few days, he couldn’t deny that he was interested, too. But what might come of it was up to Elias in the end.
“He’s an idiot then,” Hilary said, sipping her drink. “But I like him because he’s cute and heavy handed with the tequila.”
Andrej smiled and let the girls carry on with their chatter. He was nearly certain that Eli had been generous because they were here with him, but even if that wasn’t the case, Trish and Hilary were happy and that made his night a little easier.
“I must go home,” he told them a little while later. “I have to be up early in the morning so I will call it a night.”
“Aw, spoilsport,” Trish teased.
“Don’t be mean,” Hilary said, giving her partner a playful swat on the arm. “He’s had a rough few days. Let him go home and nap.”
He ignored them and took out his wallet. Andrej removed enough money to cover his water, the drinks the girls currently had, enough for another round, plus a generous tip. As an afterthought, he folded the bills in half and stuck one of his business cards inside the money before setting it on the counter. He placed a glass over the top of the money and caught Elias’ attention. Eli would get the hint and maybe, if he was lucky, the cute little bartender would call. If nothing else, they could share a pizza and some conversation.
But if he was really lucky? Who knew what might happen.
Andrej had just buckled his seat belt when his phone buzzed.
Aye, papi, I’m game if you are. I’m off tomorrow, what do you think? I can bring the tequila.
He smiled at his phone and typed, I will be waiting.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6,389
Summary: Andrej is heartbroken, and Trish decides to take him out for a drink.
Author’s note: Written for the tornado prompt for genprompt-bingo. Also, thanks to Spotify for coughing up a bit of Tracy Lawrence at the right moment. I had no idea what to do with tornado as a prompt until then.
“What on earth happened in here,” Trish asked, picking her way through the mess in the living room. “There are clothes all over your floor, Zeklos.”
Andrej followed her into the house and sighed. “Zayne happened,” he said, surveying the scene. “He had a date tonight and was looking for a particular pair of jeans.”
“Okay,” Trish said, toeing at a pair of brightly colored underwear. “And how does that have anything to do with the mess on your floor right now?”
Bending down to pick up the shirt at his feet, Andrej sighed. “Zayne could not find them at his place,” he explained. “I told him that I believed they were here, however I was not at home.”
“Because you were with me,” Trish surmised.
“I was,” he confirmed with a smile. “I told Zayne to look in the laundry basket I had on the dryer because I had just finished a load before I left to meet you. He is always leaving clothes here.” Which made their relationship sound much more intimate than it actually was.
“I can see that,” Trish said. “Doesn’t he know how to clean up after himself? Looks like a hurricane hit this place.”
“Tornado,” Andrej muttered. A Texas tornado at that. Bigger, louder, and messier than your usual twister. Sexier, also.
“Yeah, that, too,” Trish laughed. “Boy’s a destructive force of nature, that’s for sure.”
Locating the nearly empty laundry basket, Andrej dumped the shirt he was holding into it. “He certainly tears through and leaves devastation in his wake,” Andrej said, grabbing a pair of sweatpants off the coffee table. The bullpen at the station, his living room, his heart.
Andrej realized as he was dropping a pair of brightly colored boxers into the basket that Zayne not only left physical chaos behind him, but emotional as well. Seeing the lengths Zayne went to in order to look good for the woman du jour caused an ache in his chest. He shook it off, forcing himself to focus on the mess left behind instead of the whirlwind of sex and charm that had caused it. There would be plenty of time later to mourn what never could be. Right now, he had company.
Trish dumped an armful of Zayne’s clothes into the basket. “You want to go get a drink? You look like you could use one.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head despite his desire to say yes. “I have a lot to do and –”
“If part of what you have to do is fold Reyes’ laundry, I’m going to smack you,” Trish said without a trace of heat to her words. “Come on, I know how badly this has to be beating you up right now. There’s a bar a couple blocks from here with cheap drinks, good music, and a really cute bartender.”
Andrej looked up at her, knowing she was talking about Elias. “No, that I cannot do, Trish. Eli, he – he is not very fond of me these days.”
“Baloney,” she said, taking the full laundry basket from him. “He was asking about you last night. I think he recognized Hilary as being Zayne’s ex.”
That was news to him. “Why were you and Hilary in a bar last night?”
“Same reason you and I are headed back tonight: Reyes.” She hefted the basket and gave him a look. “Let me put this back in the laundry room and then I’ll take you out for a few. And then,” she gave him an evil grin before continuing, “you can call Reyes drunk off your ass and ask him to take you home.”
“That is not wise,” he called after her retreating backside.
“Why? It’s not like you haven’t already kissed the boy,” she teased, returning from the laundry room.
“That was different,” Andrej said. “We were undercover the first time and I was drugged the second.” Sure, Zayne had found out he was gay during that assignment, and even that he had a little crush on the obnoxious Texan. But as far as he knew, Zayne did not – could not – know how much in love with him he was.
“Besides, this is payback for all the times you had to leave your comfy chair to pick his drunk ass up.”
Andrej couldn’t dispute it because she was correct. “I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Andrej hedged. Although he did wonder if Zayne would be even slightly jealous seeing him out with Trish, the possibility of getting caught flirting with Eli flitting through his thoughts.
“It’s probably not,” Trish agreed, slipping her arm through his and tugging. “But mistakes are meant to be made, right?”
“No,” he said, allowing her to lead him out of his house and to her car. “I am not sure that is right.”
“I guess we’ll know in the morning, huh,” she laughed. “But right now? Margaritas are on me, Zek. Let’s go have some fun.”
**
“Are you sure you want another, papi,” Elias asked. He had one elbow on the bar, a smirk firmly planted on his luscious mouth. It had been way too long since Andrej had seen his handsome face and realized how foolish he’d been in letting him go.
“Load him up,” Trish said, sipping her glass of white wine. “I drove him here so he’s not going to do anything stupid.”
“That is what you think,” Andrej muttered. If he kept drinking like this, he was liable to do something incredibly dumb before the night was over. Question was, would that mistake involve Zayne or Elias? A fleeting thought crossed his mind and dropped the idea of doing something inadvisable with both Zayne and Eli before it skittered away into the darkness.
“Oh,” he muttered, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. “No, no, no.”
“What,” Trish asked, suddenly on alert. “Did you see someone?”
“No,” he said, laughing. “The alcohol is starting to affect me, I think, because my mind is wandering to places it does not usually go.”
“Mmm,” Trish said, sipping her wine. “I can relate to that.”
“Okay,” Elias said, setting the margarita down in front of Andrej. “This is your last, you hear me? I think three was always your limit anyway.”
Andrej looked at his drink and sighed. He’d stopped drinking when he came to the states for a reason. But ever since he’d kissed Zayne out of desperation a few months prior, he’d started up again. Too much had happened since they closed that case and it was starting to weigh on him. It was probably a good thing he couldn’t get his hands on the plum brandy from his homeland very easily or he might not have a job for long.
“Thank you for watching out for me, Eli,” he said, picking up the glass and taking a sip.
“Anytime,” he said. “I know what kind of a jackass your partner can be and anytime I can help?” He shrugged and made his way down the bar.
“Why’d you dump him anyway,” Trish asked, leaning in close so that their conversation was more private. “He’s really sweet.”
“I did not,” Andrej said, swallowing hard on the last word. He lifted his glass to his mouth and drained half the contents.
“Oh,” Trish said, sitting back. “I’m – I’m sorry. Hilary said that Zayne – oh, shit. Never mind. I should have known better than to trust anything Reyes said.”
It still hurt to think about the way Elias had left him that night. Not that he disagreed with Eli’s decision, because he completely understood, even if he hated himself for it in the end. “It is fine,” he eventually said. “It is not your fault that I messed things up so badly.”
“You didn’t do a thing wrong,” Elias said, reaching across the bar and squeezed Andrej’s hand briefly. “The timing was not right, si?”
“Da,” Andrej replied automatically. There was a time when they’d made a game out of speaking to one another in their native languages. He’d been surprised to see how much Spanish had had in common with Romanian. “Yes,” he corrected, making Elias smile.
“I think it’s time for you to go home,” Elias said, gently. “Do you want me to call someone or are you going to go with your friend?”
Andrej looked at Trish and noticed she was smiling at a brunette with full, red lips, a few tables away. “Maybe I ought to call Zayne,” he muttered, wishing Trish hadn’t spotted the woman and immediately regretted his selfishness. Trish deserved someone just as much as anyone did.
“I don’t think he is your best choice,” Elias said. “Is there no one else?”
There was Hilary, but he was pretty certain she was on a date as well. He thought about the handsome, redheaded detective he’d recently run into but scratched the idea immediately. They did not know each other well enough for a drunken, late night rescue call. “Not tonight, Eli, I am sorry.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. Andrej dialed Zayne, waited, and hung up.
“No answer,” Elias asked, brow furrowed.
“No,” he said, trying not to roll his eyes. It wasn’t surprising in the least that Zayne hadn’t picked up. It was Friday night after all and he was on a date. “I will try again.”
He redialed, waited, and got the same result. This time, however, he left a brief message asking Zayne to call back because he needed a favor.
“Honey,” Elias said, leaning over the bar and taking both of Andrej’s hands into his own. “I get off in half an hour. If you can hold it together that long, I will take you home.”
“No,” he protested. “You do not have to do that.”
“But I want to,” Elias said, giving his hands a last squeeze before letting go. “And if your partner calls you back before then, well, he can come retrieve you.”
“Hey,” Trish said, sliding back onto her stool. “You call Reyes yet?”
Andrej looked at her for a moment before chastising himself. He’d not even realized she’d gotten up. Yeah, he was definitely farther gone than he thought. “No, I have not. He will not answer his phone.”
Trish made a face and glanced at the woman she’d been eyeing a bit ago. “Let me try…”
“Do not bother,” he said, not even caring if his voice gave him away. “He will not answer.”
“I have offered to give him a ride, detective,” Elias said. “I promise to make sure he gets home safely.”
Smiling, Trish winked at him. “And what happens when you get him home?”
Eli gave her an innocent smile and walked off towards the far end of the bar.
“I like him,” Trish said. “Are you sure about this? Because I can –”
“Yes,” he lied, cutting her off before she could regret her choices. “Please, go talk to your new friend and have a good time.”
“Okay,” she said. “But only because I know what the bartender says is true. You’d have never gotten involved with him before otherwise. I’m still calling your asshole of a partner though.” Trish kissed him on the cheek and returned to where her new friend waited.
“Half an hour, papi,” Eli said. “No more, I promise.”
**
“I am fine,” Andrej said as Elias steered him towards the car. “I can walk on my own.” Although, he wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not. It was hard to tell.
“That’s debatable,” Elias chuckled as Andrej stumbled into him again. “You are not very steady on your feet.”
“Hey,” a voice shouted from behind them. “Where the hell do you think you’re taking him?”
Andrej turned and saw Zayne jogging towards them. “Zayne,” he began. He held his arms out and then realized what he was doing. They dropped to his sides heavily.
“Nah, I’m not asking you, Zek,” Zayne said. “I’m asking him.”
“He is taking me home,” Andrej said, pulling away from Elias and approaching Zayne on wobbly legs. “And before you ask why, maybe check your voice mail.” He poked ineffectively at Zayne’s broad chest with a finger.
Zayne frowned at him, caught the poking finger in his hand. “I did, that’s why I’m here. Trish left me one hell of a nasty message, Zeklos.”
Of course she had. “I told her not to call you. I am sorry. But I need to go home now.”
“Fine, let’s go.” Zayne held his hand out in the direction of his truck.
“No.” Andrej crossed his arms over his chest, swaying backwards a tad.
“What the hell do you mean by no?” Zayne took a step towards him. “You call me to come get you or, rather, you have Rollins do it. But now that I’m here, you say no?”
“I called you two hours ago, Zayne,” Andrej said all the hurt he’d been feeling building up and overflowing into his words.
Unfortunately, Eli’s promised half an hour had fallen through when a large group came in after a rehearsal dinner. For better or for worse, Andrej had moved from the bar to a table to wait, and the waitress serving him hadn’t known that Eli had cut him off. So, yeah, he’d had more than usual and definitely more than he should have.
“I was busy,” Zayne said, pouting. “It’s Friday, Zek, you know how it goes.”
“Yes, we know,” Elias said, unlocking his car and opening the door for Andrej. “You had a date, no? Andrej, please.”
“I am coming,” he said, not sure that he wanted either of them to take him home now.
“Zek, please,” Zayne said. “I came all the way over here to get you because Trish yelled at me.”
“Trish shamed you,” Elias corrected. “Which makes all of this,” he waved his hand between them, “even worse.”
“Oh stuff it,” Zayne snapped. “I’m here, let me take you home, Zek.”
“Are you going to clean up the clothes you scattered all of my living room,” he asked, eyes darting to Zayne’s long, strong legs. “I see you found the jeans you were looking for.”
“What?” Zayne looked down at his legs and then back up at Andrej. “Yeah, I found them and I’m sorry I left a mess, but I was running late.”
“Sure you were,” Andrej muttered. “Anything to not clean up after yourself.”
“Whatever,” Zayne said, waving Andrej’s accusations away. He knew his flaws and he wasn’t about to hash them out in the middle of the parking lot with his drunken partner. No, his completely wasted partner. “Let’s go home and I’ll clean up the mess I left, okay?”
“You know he’s already cleaned it up by now,” Elias said, leaning against the hood of his car. “He’d never leave the house knowing it was a disaster.”
Zayne frowned because he knew the bartender was right. “Where the hell is Rollins anyway? Why didn’t she stick around to take you home considering she’s the reason you’re here anyway?”
“She met someone,” Andrej said, giving them a sad look. “Exactly like everyone else I know.” Everyone but him, that was. “And they left together. Eli –”
“Go,” Elias said, waving him off. The anguish on Andrej’s face was more than he could bear. “But you had better not upset him, detective.” Eli glared at Zayne, willing his point home.
“Yeah, yeah,” Zayne said, waving a hand at the bartender. “He’s my partner, I know how to take care of him.”
“If that were the truth,” Elias muttered, “he wouldn’t have been here alone tonight, drinking more than I’ve ever seen.”
Zayne started to respond when Andrej stumbled. “Okay, Zek, time to get you in my truck and home.” He opened the passenger door of his trusty old truck and helped his partner inside. Reaching across Zeklos, he latched the seatbelt. Looking up, he saw Zek staring down at him with blurry eyes. “What?”
A smile tugged at the corners of Andrej’s mouth. “You smell good, Zayne.”
“Yeah, well, you know,” Zayne hedged. Last thing he wanted to tell his inebriated partner was that he’d been hooking up with a cute blonde from the Bath and Body Works at the mall before coming to rescue him.
“Your date has good taste in perfumes,” Andrej continued. “Vanilla and raspberries and it’s very fitting.” He chuckled and touched Zayne’s face lightly with the tip of a finger. “Although, I do like how you normally smell, all citrus and spice.”
Zayne snorted. “You can thank Hilary for that. She’s the one who started buying that shit for me. Said she was tired of me smelling like Old Spice. Okay, enough chatter, let’s get you home, baby.”
Andrej watched Zayne shut the door and make his way to the driver’s side. Zayne climbed inside and started the truck, giving his partner a worried look.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Andrej said. “I am fine.”
“You’re drunk off your ass, baby, and that worries me,” Zayne replied. He pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards Andrej’s house. “This isn’t like you and I don’t know what to think. Trish said it was my fault, but I don’t know what the hell I could have done, I’ve been on a date all night.”
Instead of answering, Andrej stared out the side window, watching the night fly by. “Trish should not have blamed you, it is my fault in the end. Not yours or hers or Eli’s.”
“Well, if I knew why she thought it was my fault, maybe I wouldn't be so pissed right now,” he said, fingers gripping the steering wheel. “But since I have no clue, I’m rather annoyed, Zek.”
“I am sorry,” Andrej said as Zayne pulled into his driveway. He reached for his door handle and glanced at Zayne. “I can put myself to bed.” Tired and heartbroken, he was done asking others to help him.
“Like hell you can,” Zayne grumbled. “Rollins will have my ass if I don’t make sure you get inside and to bed safely. Not to mention she’ll recruit Hil to help her.”
He got out of the truck and jogged over to grab the door before Andrej could escape. Looping an arm around his partner’s shoulders, he directed them towards the garage door. Andrej slumped against his side while they waited for the garage door to rise. Zayne looked down at him and shook his head. He really wished he had even the slightest idea what had gotten into Zeklos. The boy rarely drank and, even when he did, Zayne hadn’t ever really seen him drunk before.
Once inside, Zayne helped Andrej get his shoes off before guiding him towards his bedroom, noting that Elias had been correct. The disaster he’d left in Zeklos’ living room was gone. Knowing that his carelessness had likely played into Andrej’s mood made him feel awful. Too late to do anything about that now, but he could try harder in the future.
Andrej flopped back onto the mattress and groaned. Zayne grinned and helped him get situated on the bed.
“You want me to help you get into some pajamas?” He stood, hands on hips, gazing down at his wasted partner.
“No,” Andrej said, draping an arm over his eyes. “I will be okay like this.”
“Come on,” Zayne said, hauling Andrej upright again. “You know you’ll be annoyed with yourself in the morning if you sleep in your clothes.” He grabbed the hem of Andrej’s shirt and pulled it over his head. Tossing it into the dirty clothes basket, Zayne grabbed a soft, clean t-shirt out of the dresser. Unfolding it, he realized it was one of his. “Hey, when did you start pilfering my clothes, baby?”
Andrej looked up and squinted at the shirt Zayne was holding. “I did not pilfer it, you left it here.”
“Mmm,” Zayne murmured. “Maybe, but I know I didn’t leave it in your dresser. Here, arms up, let’s get you changed so you can pass out.”
Reluctantly, Andrej allowed Zayne to help him into his shirt then, embarrassingly, into a pair of pajama pants. The only benefit to his current state of drunkenness was that his body couldn’t betray the feelings that Zayne’s touch inspired. Small favors, he thought.
When he laid back down, he could see those beautiful green eyes smiling down at him. “I am sorry,” he said. “I ruined your date.”
“No, you didn’t, trust me.” Zayne tugged the covers up to Andrej’s chin and pressed a kiss to his partner’s forehead. “I’ll explain it all in the morning, but you didn’t ruin anything.”
“Are you sure,” Andrej asked, even as his eyes were slamming closed.
“Positive,” Zayne said, brushing a hand across the top of Andrej’s head. “Go to sleep.”
“Will you stay,” Andrej asked sleepily.
“Yeah, of course I will,” Zayne said, startled by the request. “Sure thing.” He had no one to go home to after all, he might as well stay with his partner. If nothing else, at least he’d get breakfast in the morning.
“You have clean pajamas in the basket of clothes you upended in my living room,” he muttered, rolling onto his side, and snuggling into his pillow. “Trish returned it to the laundry room.”
“Thanks,” Zayne said, watching as Andrej drifted off into an alcohol-induced slumber.
He left Andrej and stripped in the laundry room, dropping his clothes into the washing machine directly. In the morning, he’d get one of the clean outfits Zeklos kept in the spare room for him. For now, however, he was relegated to sleeping in an ancient pair of Longhorns sweats. Zayne started reaching for a shirt and decided against it. He wasn’t used to sleeping in much more than a pair of boxer shorts, so the sweats would nearly be more than he could handle. A shirt would smother him.
“Zek will understand,” he muttered, heading back into his partner’s bedroom.
He crossed to the far side of the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Setting his wallet and cell phone on the nightstand, he nearly knocked over a stack of paperbacks. Zayne looked over at Andrej and realized he’d collapsed on the wrong side of the bed, which made him smile. His partner was a serious creature of habit and would be quite unsettled when he woke on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.
Shaking his head, Zayne straightened the books so that they were as neat as they were before he’d knocked into them. The cover of the top book caught his eye. He picked it up and frowned. It featured a dark-haired cowboy wearing a Stetson and a badge. Flipping it over, he read the blurb on the back and sighed. When did Zeklos start reading cowboy romance novels? Especially ones with cowboy cops in them? He picked up the others in the stack and looked at each cover, finding a similar scene on each. It was crazy enough to think that level-headed Zeklos was reading romance, but this particular brand of ridiculousness bugged him, and he couldn’t figure out why.
He flipped a random book open and nearly choked. “Sleeping with two men doesn’t make you a slut,” he read in disbelief. “What the actual hell, baby? You got plans you’re not telling me about?” He cut his eyes in the direction of his passed-out partner and sighed. These novels were even worse than he’d expected and that shocked the hell out of him.
“It’s none of your business, Reyes,” he reminded himself, setting Andrej’s books back on the nightstand. He laid down and pulled the covers up, closing his eyes. There was something going on, but he wasn’t sure what. But he was positive that Trish knew. They were going to have one serious conversation here soon, whether she liked it or not. He couldn’t stand to see Zeklos so… lost.
**
“Zayne,” Andrej said, shaking the handsome Texan gently. “Wake up.”
Forcing his eyes open, Zayne blinked in the early morning light. “What’s wrong? You okay?”
“Why are you in my bed,” Andrej asked, his hands still gripping Zayne’s biceps.
“You don’t remember,” Zayne said, one corner of his mouth curling upwards. A hint of pink colored Andrej’s cheeks, stirring something deep in Zayne that he didn’t understand. Pushing it aside temporarily, he patted his partner’s hand. “You asked me to stay after I brought you home from the bar last night.”
Andrej’s eyes went wide for a moment, then closed in humiliation. “That would explain why I have seven texts from Eli on my phone,” he sighed.
Zayne thought there was a hint of pleasure hidden amongst the relief he heard in Zeklos’ voice, which made his stomach roll. “That little tart threatened me last night, Zek.”
“He is not a tart,” Andrej snapped. “Now get out of my bed. I need to get up and get dressed.”
“Not what you were saying last night,” Zayne teased. He slid his legs out from under the covers and planted them on the floor. “Hey, Trish said it was my fault you were at the bar together last night. Mind telling me what the fuck that was all about?”
Andrej’s face reddened again, causing him to look away quickly. “She was trying to make you feel bad, do not listen to her,” he said. “Get dressed and go home. I am going to shower, and I will see you on Monday.”
Zayne hesitated for a moment, then rose to his feet and walked out of the bedroom, leaving his partner to his ablutions. He stopped by the laundry room and stripped naked, leaving his pajamas in the washer with his other clothes. It was going to piss Zeklos off, but he didn’t care. Someone was going to have to explain to him what he was missing and soon. Finding clean clothes in Andrej’s spare room, Zayne changed and went into the dining room. He’d planned on tugging his boots onto his feet and getting the hell out of there, but for some reason, he was frozen to the stool.
The rumbling of his stomach brought him back to the present. “Food,” he muttered. “I’ll go get us food and then beat it out of him if I have to.”
Andrej was making coffee when Zayne returned. “I told you to go home,” he said, both angry and happy to see his partner’s gorgeous face.
“I went and got us food,” he said, setting a white paper bag down on the counter between them. “I also took your disgusting healthy eating habits into consideration and went to the coffee shop on the corner and not the food truck that I like. So, there’s an egg white and spinach breakfast sandwich on a whole wheat bagel in there for you.”
Zeklos looked at him for a moment before grabbing the bag and opening it. He began to pull food out and set it on the counter. “Thank you, Zayne.”
“I brought us coffee, too,” he added, holding up the cardboard carrier he still held. “Oh, and I called Hilary.”
“Why did you disturb her so early in the morning?” He pulled two plates out of the cupboard and set them beside the food.
“Because I was pretty damn sure she’d know what Trish was blathering about on my voice mail last night. And you know what? I was right. Also, I’m mad at you, you asshole.”
“Me,” Andrej asked, taken aback by Zayne’s ire. “How could you possibly be angry with me, Zayne?”
“Because you lied to me,” he spat. “Correction: you’ve been lying to me. Present tense.”
Andrej clutched the forks he held in his hand and stared at Zayne. “I do not lie, Zayne.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “After all that shit that happened at the Heartbreaker, you told me you had feelings for me. A crush.” Zayne shook his head, angry enough to shake Zeklos, but wanting to hug him close more than anything else. “You. Lied.”
“I did not,” Andrej said, feeling a confusing mixture of anger and embarrassment flood his nervous system. “I do care for you, about you, Zayne. It ought to be obvious!”
“Yeah,” Zayne growled, voice low and menacing. “It is obvious because you put up with me even when I don’t deserve it.” He took a step forward, causing Andrej to step backwards towards the sink. “What wasn’t obvious was how much you cared. According to Hilary, you’re in love with me.”
Andrej’s mouth dropped open and he stood there, staring. They’d promised never to tell Zayne the extent of his feelings and yet, Hilary had let the proverbial cat out of the bag. Zayne took another angry step towards him and he took two, quick steps backwards, ass bumping into the counter behind him. “Zayne,” he finally managed. “I –”
“Shut it,” Zayne said.
Zayne was inches away now, angry and fuck, appealing as hell. The alcohol from the night before had apparently filtered out of Andrej’s system because his body was responding with gusto to Zayne’s presence. Zayne’s overly aggressive, macho, and dominating presence. “Zayne, stop.”
“Why,” he asked, a hand gripping the counter on either side of Andrej’s body. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“You are not like me,” Andrej shot back. “You have Hilary and, when you don’t have her, you have every other woman within a thirty-mile radius!” He shoved at Zayne’s chest, not budging the irritated Texan an inch. “There was no point in telling you because you’ll never love me back. Is that what you want to hear? What your ego needs?”
“That’s not fair,” Zayne said, drawing back a bit. “This has nothing to do with my ego and everything to do with the fact you were falling down drunk last night. Something Hilary also said was because of me and the date I had last night.”
Andrej turned his head away from Zayne’s fiery gaze. It was too much truth to deal with while he had a raging hangover.
“Look at me, Zek.”
He forced his eyes forward, wincing when he saw the hurt and confusion on Zayne’s face. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want things to change between us. For you, a schoolboy crush is nothing. You’d laugh it off and we’d get back to work like nothing ever happened.” He sighed and slumped back against the counter a bit. “But something stronger? That would only scare you away.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Zayne protested.
“Yes, it would,” Andrej pressed. “Why do you think you and Hilary cannot stay together? It’s because you love her and she knows it, but the idea of committing to one person – even one as amazing as she is – scares you to death.”
“So, I bolt.”
“So, you bolt,” Andrej agreed. “I did not – could not – let you run from me. And I suffer for that foolish belief every day.”
Zayne stepped back with a sigh. “You should have said something, baby.”
“I couldn’t,” Andrej said.
“But why?”
“Because as much as I would love to have you as my boyfriend, I need you to be my friend more.”
“I’ll never stop being your friend,” he whispered. “You’ve done nothing but prop me up from the day we met. How could I walk away from someone who cooks as good as you do?”
Andrej chuckled at that. “You are a jerk.”
“Yeah,” Zayne said, meeting Andrej’s eyes. “But you love me.”
“God help me, but I do.”
“Are we good,” Zayne asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“We are,” Andrej confirmed.
“Good, because we need to talk about that smutty ass shit you’ve been reading.”
Andrej’s head snapped up. “What?”
“I knocked your pile of books off the nightstand last night. As I was picking them up, I flipped one open and I swear to god, the first line was about how sleeping with two men doesn’t make you a slut.”
“Oh god,” Andrej said, covering his face with his hands.
“Now, I’m not one to judge, but baby, that came as quite a shock.”
“Please, stop talking.”
Zayne grinned. “Answer me one question and I’ll drop it.”
Andrej peeked through his fingers. “What is your question?”
“Does the chick have her guy and her side piece or is she doing them both at once?”
“I – I do not know for sure, Zayne, as I have not gotten to that one yet.” God, he could feel his face flaming from the embarrassment.
“Promise you’ll let me know when you find out,” Zayne teased. “Now,” he said, switching gears much too easily for Andrej’s comfort, “breakfast. Shit’s gotta be cold by now, but what can you do?”
“I do not have any idea any longer,” Andrej muttered. He took his plate from Zayne and made his way out into the living room. Eating on the sofa was not his norm, but he knew Zayne wouldn’t sit at the table, so he compromised.
**
“I can’t say I was expecting you back so soon,” Elias said, a grin spreading across his face as Andrej took a seat at the bar. “And on a Wednesday.”
Andrej shrugged, then put his hands on the edge of the bar top. “I came by to apologize to you for the other night. I was not in a good place and Trish was encouraging all the wrong feelings.”
“I noticed,” Elias said. “Can I get you something?”
“No thank you,” Andrej said, looking embarrassed. “I am not drinking tonight or ever again.”
“Don’t say that,” Elias teased, pulling a bottle of water from a cooler below the bar. “Moderation is key, no?”
“Indeed,” Andrej agreed. He cracked open the seal on the bottle and took the cap off. Setting the cap aside, he took a long swig of the ice-cold water and shook his head. “I really am sorry, mostly for the way Zayne acted.”
“He cares about you,” Eli said, picking up the cap and tossing it into the trash. “Maybe not in the way you want or need, but he does care. I tried to remember that when he was threatening me.”
Andrej winced. “His date did not go the way he wanted it to,” he said, thinking back to what Zayne had told them over their reheated breakfast sandwiches.
“She didn’t put out, I guess?”
Snorting out a laugh, Andrej nodded. “She did not, and he was not happy. So, I apologize on his behalf.”
“No need,” Elias said, tapping the bar with his fingers. “Your redheaded friend is coming this way.”
For half a second, he thought Eli meant James, had almost hoped he meant James. However, Detective Rosewood had no reason to come searching him out and, even if he had, would he have known to look here?
“Andy,” Trish said, sliding onto the barstool beside him. “You are here.”
“I am,” he said. “Hello, Hilary.”
“Hey,” Hilary said, snagging the stool on Andrej’s other side. “I’m sorry for what I told Zayne, but he was kind of losing his damn mind.”
“It is okay,” Andrej said. “He was going to find out eventually, so it is probably better it is out in the open finally.”
“I’m not so sure about that, but as long as you’re not mad at me, I won’t complain.” She smiled at Elias. “Can Trish and I both get a margarita?”
“Of course,” he said, winking and heading off to make the girls’ drinks.
“I’m surprised you’re here,” Hilary said. “After what Zayne told me, I figured you’d have been as far from alcohol as you could get.”
He held up his bottle of water for her to see. “I am not drinking, however I had to apologize to Eli. I was not in the best frame of mind the other night.” He sighed. “And Zayne was awfully rude.”
“Reyes is always rude,” Trish added.
“Forget it, papi,” Elias said, setting the drinks down in front of the girls. “I deal with a lot worse than your overprotective partner on a slow night.” He gave Andrej a smile before moving off to serve another customer.
“Is he flirting with you,” Trish asked. “I think he is, Andy.”
“No, he is not,” Andrej lied. He might miss most overt interest directed his way but with Elias, it was different. Because he knew Eli, he knew that he was – is – interested. After the last few days, he couldn’t deny that he was interested, too. But what might come of it was up to Elias in the end.
“He’s an idiot then,” Hilary said, sipping her drink. “But I like him because he’s cute and heavy handed with the tequila.”
Andrej smiled and let the girls carry on with their chatter. He was nearly certain that Eli had been generous because they were here with him, but even if that wasn’t the case, Trish and Hilary were happy and that made his night a little easier.
“I must go home,” he told them a little while later. “I have to be up early in the morning so I will call it a night.”
“Aw, spoilsport,” Trish teased.
“Don’t be mean,” Hilary said, giving her partner a playful swat on the arm. “He’s had a rough few days. Let him go home and nap.”
He ignored them and took out his wallet. Andrej removed enough money to cover his water, the drinks the girls currently had, enough for another round, plus a generous tip. As an afterthought, he folded the bills in half and stuck one of his business cards inside the money before setting it on the counter. He placed a glass over the top of the money and caught Elias’ attention. Eli would get the hint and maybe, if he was lucky, the cute little bartender would call. If nothing else, they could share a pizza and some conversation.
But if he was really lucky? Who knew what might happen.
Andrej had just buckled his seat belt when his phone buzzed.
Aye, papi, I’m game if you are. I’m off tomorrow, what do you think? I can bring the tequila.
He smiled at his phone and typed, I will be waiting.
