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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Overbaked Gingerbread
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: James Rosewood + Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 2,165
Summary: Against common sense, James and Zayne decide to play basketball in the summer heat.
Author’s Note: Written for the original fic challenge at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
1_million_words. Also, this is honestly pointless – no actual plot or excitement. But, we’ve already hit triple digits here and there’s rarely any cloud cover, so… *shrugs*
“Goddamn,” James whined, “it’s hot.”
Zayne looked up from the basketball he’d been bouncing on the court. “Did you forget you moved to the desert, gingerbread?”
“No, I didn’t forget, Reyes,” James snapped back. “But sometimes, something’s so obvious that you have to say it out loud.”
“If you say so,” Zayne said, sounding doubtful.
“Can we just end the game,” James asked, hating how badly he wanted to be done. “I thought coming out in the late afternoon would be better than the middle of the day, but boy was I wrong. I don’t even care if you win, either.”
“Yeah,” Zayne said, resisting the urge to remind the redhead that he’d said as much. “It doesn’t cool down very quickly here, even after the sun goes down. It can be rough.” He grinned at the narco. “And of course I was going to win, I always beat you when we play.”
James rolled his eyes and flopped onto the courtside bench. He wiped a hand across his forehead. The redhead was pale and sweaty, nothing unusual there. But his cheeks and the tops of his shoulders were starting to turn a nice rosy pink. A color that would be nice in any other circumstance but this one. Now, it meant the ginger was going to have one hell of a burn in the morning.
“You’re going to be hurting tomorrow,” Zayne said.
“Tell me about it,” James muttered. “Despite that big ass goose egg on the scoreboard, I was running my butt off.” He gave Zayne a bit of side-eye. “You’re just too damn good at this. My competitive side is embarrassed.” He shook his head, damp hair clinging to his forehead. “My legs are already protesting. Tomorrow will be utter hell.”
“That’s not quite what I meant,” Zayne said, waving his had in the direction of James’ porcelain skin. “You’ve got the beginnings of a burn going on.”
“Oh, for the love of god,” James moaned. He gently touched the top of his left shoulder, trying to gauge the depth of his upcoming misery. Maybe a tank hadn’t been the best choice. “And I literally bathed in sunscreen before we came out. Andy made sure of it.”
“He covered me in it, too,” Zayne laughed. “And I’m not nearly at the risk of burning like you are.”
He removed the bandanna from around his forehead, squeezed it, made a face, and then shook it out. Opening the small ice chest they’d brought with them, he was happy to see that there was still some ice inside. They’d made quick work of the bottles of water and electrolyte mix that Andrej had put inside for them, so all that remained were empty bottles, ice and melted ice. He dipped the bandanna into the cold water, squeezed out most of the wetness, and brought it to James.
“Here,” he said, holding it out. “Dab this on your face and shoulders to help cool them off. I can feel the heat rising off your skin even from here.”
“This is gross,” James grumbled, but did as he was told. A soft, satisfied sigh escaped him. “That shower is going to feel so good later.”
“Bath,” Zayne corrected. He took the bandanna from James and decided they’d had enough for one day. “Let’s go home before you get any crisper.”
“Not funny,” James said. He stood up and grabbed the basketball while Zayne got the cooler. “But why a bath and not a shower?”
They walked towards Zayne’s truck – they’d decided it was the better choice, not wanting to get their sweaty bodies all over James’ leather seats – and climbed inside. James relaxed gingerly against the seat, already feeling the prickly sensation that let him know – often way too late – that he’d had too much sun.
“Because you can add baking soda to a bath,” Zayne said, starting the truck up. “It’ll ease the itching and help the skin heal. I don’t know why, it’s just what my mama always said, so it’s what I do.”
“I trust your mother more than I’d trust mine in a situation like this,” James said, smiling.
“Yeah, she dealt with a hell of a lot of sunburn during my childhood,” he confirmed. Pulling out of the lot, he aimed the truck towards home. “Robbie and I got burnt left and right playing or doing yard work. My sisters were always out in their bathing suits trying to get even browner than they are naturally.” He shook his head fondly at the memories.
“I wonder if Andy knows how to deal with desert born sunburn,” James mused. “Not like it’s very hot where he’s from.”
“No,” Zayne agreed, “but he’s lived here long enough now to have gotten wise.” He glanced at James and corrected himself. “Wiser.”
“Which means he’s going to rip us apart when we get home.”
“We?” Zayne shot the redhead another quick glance. “I’m not the overbaked gingerbread man, am I?”
“Sometimes, Zayne, I really don’t like you.” James crossed his arms over his chest and instantly regretted it.
“But you always looove me,” he teased. “You’re not wrong though. You’ll get it for not putting sunblock on every 20 minutes like he told us, and I’ll get it for not making sure you did.”
“God love that man,” James said, laughing. “He’s a damn mother hen, but he does bring us together in the weirdest ways.”
“True,” Zayne said, pulling into the garage and parking next to his partner’s fancy car. “Go inside and meet me in Zek’s bathroom.”
James paused, his hand on the door handle. “Why Andy’s bathroom?”
“His tub is bigger than that little slice of a thing in the hall. You’ll want to be able to sink down and get your neck and shoulders into the water. Maybe even the back of your head. Didn’t check to see if your scalp was pink or not.”
That caused him to frown. “God, I hope not. Had sunburn on my scalp once and it drove me crazy, it itched so badly.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Zayne said, opening his door. “I’ll call Mama and ask her for help if it is.”
“Thanks, I think,” he laughed, following Zayne into the house.
Andrej met them in the living room and heaved a world-weary sigh the minute he saw them. “Jay,” he said, sounding worried, “you are very sunburned.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face. His skin was starting to sting and prickle, and he knew he was going to be suffering by morning.
“Let me get the aloe and –”
Zayne cut him off. “Save the aloe for after his bath, baby. Do you have any baking soda?”
James snickered. “You think Andy, of all people, doesn’t have the dual cooking and cleaning staple of baking soda? Really, Reyes, do you even know him?”
Andrej hesitated. “What is the baking soda for, Zayne?”
“Rosewood’s bath,” he said. “My mama swears by it, and it always helped us as kids.”
With a nod, Andrej disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later, familiar orange box in hand. “Off to my bedroom,” he told them both, shooing them down the hall.
While Zayne helped James out of his clothes, Andrej prepared the bath. Then, he retrieved his favorite towels – two big, fluffy things as soft as kittens. He didn’t let just anyone use them, either. James climbed into the bath and sighed as he sank into the cool water. Andrej perched on the edge of the tub, hovering and mother-henning as he always did. Zayne parked his rear on the sink and watched them.
“I warned you two,” Andrej muttered. “It had to have been at least one hundred and six today!” He shook his head, both angry and appalled.
It had actually topped one ten, but Zayne was not about to correct his boyfriend. One, because nothing good ever came from giving Zeklos even worse news, and two, because he’d known how hot it was and still hadn’t tried to dissuade Rosewood. Zayne was used to the heat, thrived in it even. He was definitely the one at fault for this. The narco wasn’t built for this weather, they both knew it, and yet, neither was willing to back down. Zayne knew better now, next time, he’d give in. Too late now. All he could do to make up for it was try and help the ginger as much as he could.
Andrej muttered something he didn’t quite catch.
“What’s that baby?”
“I said, you two are giant children and one of these days someone is going to get hurt.”
“It sounded better in French,” James said. “Less angry.”
“More poetic,” Zayne agreed. “He’s not wrong though.”
“No, I am not,” Andrej replied in an uncharacteristic show of aggressiveness. He stood and looked at James resting in the bath. “I am going to get you some water. You need to rehydrate. Zayne, come with me.”
Andrej left the bathroom and Zayne grimaced. “I think you’re in trouble, cowboy,” James teased.
“Oh hell, when aren’t I,” he muttered, following Andrej out of the room. “Hey,” he said, catching up to his partner in the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I know I was supposed to make sure he put sunscreen on. But we got playing and –”
Andrej held up a hand. “It is okay, Zayne. He is an adult and should have remembered.” He sighed and pulled an insulated cup out of the cupboard. “He should not have needed prompting. I just hope that the burn isn’t too severe.”
“He’d just started turning pink when I noticed, so I think it won’t be too bad.” He hoped not anyway, or he’d never live it down.
Nodding, Andrej filled the cup with ice and water before mixing a packet of electrolyte powder into the cup. “Order some dinner,” he said, surprising Zayne. “Something light and not too greasy. And then make yourself a glass as well.” He held up James’ drink to make sure Zayne understood.
“On it,” he said, pulling out his phone and navigating to the app for their favorite salad and sandwich shop. A few minutes later, he wandered into the bathroom, cup in hand. “Dinner is ordered and should be here in twenty.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said. “Will you help him out of the tub?”
“I can get out on my own,” James said, yawning. “But I will need help with the aloe.”
“I can do that,” Zayne said, knowing he’d better offer at least.
“Thank you,” Andrej said. “I will go get things ready and wait for the food.
When he was gone, Zayne reached into the tub and let the water out. “Up and at ‘em, gingerbread,” he said. He held out one of those glorious towels.
“Okay, okay,” James said, laughing. He took the towel from Zayne and dried his hair while Zayne lightly patted him dry with the other. “Is it just me or was he not as angry as we expected?”
Zayne glanced at the door. “He’s probably going to blow up later, so be on your toes.” He made a face. “Although, he tends to only blow up at me in these situations.”
“So, you’d better be extra careful,” James said.
“Trust me, I will.” He tossed both towels into the laundry basket. “Ready for the aloe?”
“No, but go ahead anyway,” James joked. “I hate the smell of the stuff, but I know it’s necessary. By the way, what did you order me for dinner?”
“That weird nut and berry salad you like so much,” Zayne said, gingerly rubbing the aloe into James’ reddening shoulders. “And half a turkey club. Zek said to be light and healthy, but I snuck some bacon in there for you.”
James chuckled. “Of course you did, cowboy.” He grabbed the clean T-shirt and sweats Andrej had brought him and slipped into them, relieved at how good it felt. “Let me get your face and neck while we’re here,” he said. “You don’t look pink, but better we’re cautious then to find out in the morning we should have done this.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Zayne conceded, allowing James to return the favor. “Thanks,” he said, once he was fully covered.
“Dinner is here,” Andrej said, poking his head into the room, “if you two are quite finished.”
“He makes it sound like we were making out or something,” Zayne grumbled.
“He probably figured that was where we were headed,” James said.
“He’s probably right about that, too,” Zayne said, winking at James. “But I’m hungry.”
“Oh god,” James said, following Zayne out into the living room. “God help us all if you don’t get fed when you’re hungry.”
Zayne cackled and made a beeline for the kitchen, leaving James in his wake, shaking his head.
--
End note: if you have a Café Zuppas near you, their Nuts About Berries salad is the best. Jay says so.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: James Rosewood + Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 2,165
Summary: Against common sense, James and Zayne decide to play basketball in the summer heat.
Author’s Note: Written for the original fic challenge at
1_million_words. Also, this is honestly pointless – no actual plot or excitement. But, we’ve already hit triple digits here and there’s rarely any cloud cover, so… *shrugs*“Goddamn,” James whined, “it’s hot.”
Zayne looked up from the basketball he’d been bouncing on the court. “Did you forget you moved to the desert, gingerbread?”
“No, I didn’t forget, Reyes,” James snapped back. “But sometimes, something’s so obvious that you have to say it out loud.”
“If you say so,” Zayne said, sounding doubtful.
“Can we just end the game,” James asked, hating how badly he wanted to be done. “I thought coming out in the late afternoon would be better than the middle of the day, but boy was I wrong. I don’t even care if you win, either.”
“Yeah,” Zayne said, resisting the urge to remind the redhead that he’d said as much. “It doesn’t cool down very quickly here, even after the sun goes down. It can be rough.” He grinned at the narco. “And of course I was going to win, I always beat you when we play.”
James rolled his eyes and flopped onto the courtside bench. He wiped a hand across his forehead. The redhead was pale and sweaty, nothing unusual there. But his cheeks and the tops of his shoulders were starting to turn a nice rosy pink. A color that would be nice in any other circumstance but this one. Now, it meant the ginger was going to have one hell of a burn in the morning.
“You’re going to be hurting tomorrow,” Zayne said.
“Tell me about it,” James muttered. “Despite that big ass goose egg on the scoreboard, I was running my butt off.” He gave Zayne a bit of side-eye. “You’re just too damn good at this. My competitive side is embarrassed.” He shook his head, damp hair clinging to his forehead. “My legs are already protesting. Tomorrow will be utter hell.”
“That’s not quite what I meant,” Zayne said, waving his had in the direction of James’ porcelain skin. “You’ve got the beginnings of a burn going on.”
“Oh, for the love of god,” James moaned. He gently touched the top of his left shoulder, trying to gauge the depth of his upcoming misery. Maybe a tank hadn’t been the best choice. “And I literally bathed in sunscreen before we came out. Andy made sure of it.”
“He covered me in it, too,” Zayne laughed. “And I’m not nearly at the risk of burning like you are.”
He removed the bandanna from around his forehead, squeezed it, made a face, and then shook it out. Opening the small ice chest they’d brought with them, he was happy to see that there was still some ice inside. They’d made quick work of the bottles of water and electrolyte mix that Andrej had put inside for them, so all that remained were empty bottles, ice and melted ice. He dipped the bandanna into the cold water, squeezed out most of the wetness, and brought it to James.
“Here,” he said, holding it out. “Dab this on your face and shoulders to help cool them off. I can feel the heat rising off your skin even from here.”
“This is gross,” James grumbled, but did as he was told. A soft, satisfied sigh escaped him. “That shower is going to feel so good later.”
“Bath,” Zayne corrected. He took the bandanna from James and decided they’d had enough for one day. “Let’s go home before you get any crisper.”
“Not funny,” James said. He stood up and grabbed the basketball while Zayne got the cooler. “But why a bath and not a shower?”
They walked towards Zayne’s truck – they’d decided it was the better choice, not wanting to get their sweaty bodies all over James’ leather seats – and climbed inside. James relaxed gingerly against the seat, already feeling the prickly sensation that let him know – often way too late – that he’d had too much sun.
“Because you can add baking soda to a bath,” Zayne said, starting the truck up. “It’ll ease the itching and help the skin heal. I don’t know why, it’s just what my mama always said, so it’s what I do.”
“I trust your mother more than I’d trust mine in a situation like this,” James said, smiling.
“Yeah, she dealt with a hell of a lot of sunburn during my childhood,” he confirmed. Pulling out of the lot, he aimed the truck towards home. “Robbie and I got burnt left and right playing or doing yard work. My sisters were always out in their bathing suits trying to get even browner than they are naturally.” He shook his head fondly at the memories.
“I wonder if Andy knows how to deal with desert born sunburn,” James mused. “Not like it’s very hot where he’s from.”
“No,” Zayne agreed, “but he’s lived here long enough now to have gotten wise.” He glanced at James and corrected himself. “Wiser.”
“Which means he’s going to rip us apart when we get home.”
“We?” Zayne shot the redhead another quick glance. “I’m not the overbaked gingerbread man, am I?”
“Sometimes, Zayne, I really don’t like you.” James crossed his arms over his chest and instantly regretted it.
“But you always looove me,” he teased. “You’re not wrong though. You’ll get it for not putting sunblock on every 20 minutes like he told us, and I’ll get it for not making sure you did.”
“God love that man,” James said, laughing. “He’s a damn mother hen, but he does bring us together in the weirdest ways.”
“True,” Zayne said, pulling into the garage and parking next to his partner’s fancy car. “Go inside and meet me in Zek’s bathroom.”
James paused, his hand on the door handle. “Why Andy’s bathroom?”
“His tub is bigger than that little slice of a thing in the hall. You’ll want to be able to sink down and get your neck and shoulders into the water. Maybe even the back of your head. Didn’t check to see if your scalp was pink or not.”
That caused him to frown. “God, I hope not. Had sunburn on my scalp once and it drove me crazy, it itched so badly.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Zayne said, opening his door. “I’ll call Mama and ask her for help if it is.”
“Thanks, I think,” he laughed, following Zayne into the house.
Andrej met them in the living room and heaved a world-weary sigh the minute he saw them. “Jay,” he said, sounding worried, “you are very sunburned.”
“Don’t I know it,” he said, forcing a smile onto his face. His skin was starting to sting and prickle, and he knew he was going to be suffering by morning.
“Let me get the aloe and –”
Zayne cut him off. “Save the aloe for after his bath, baby. Do you have any baking soda?”
James snickered. “You think Andy, of all people, doesn’t have the dual cooking and cleaning staple of baking soda? Really, Reyes, do you even know him?”
Andrej hesitated. “What is the baking soda for, Zayne?”
“Rosewood’s bath,” he said. “My mama swears by it, and it always helped us as kids.”
With a nod, Andrej disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later, familiar orange box in hand. “Off to my bedroom,” he told them both, shooing them down the hall.
While Zayne helped James out of his clothes, Andrej prepared the bath. Then, he retrieved his favorite towels – two big, fluffy things as soft as kittens. He didn’t let just anyone use them, either. James climbed into the bath and sighed as he sank into the cool water. Andrej perched on the edge of the tub, hovering and mother-henning as he always did. Zayne parked his rear on the sink and watched them.
“I warned you two,” Andrej muttered. “It had to have been at least one hundred and six today!” He shook his head, both angry and appalled.
It had actually topped one ten, but Zayne was not about to correct his boyfriend. One, because nothing good ever came from giving Zeklos even worse news, and two, because he’d known how hot it was and still hadn’t tried to dissuade Rosewood. Zayne was used to the heat, thrived in it even. He was definitely the one at fault for this. The narco wasn’t built for this weather, they both knew it, and yet, neither was willing to back down. Zayne knew better now, next time, he’d give in. Too late now. All he could do to make up for it was try and help the ginger as much as he could.
Andrej muttered something he didn’t quite catch.
“What’s that baby?”
“I said, you two are giant children and one of these days someone is going to get hurt.”
“It sounded better in French,” James said. “Less angry.”
“More poetic,” Zayne agreed. “He’s not wrong though.”
“No, I am not,” Andrej replied in an uncharacteristic show of aggressiveness. He stood and looked at James resting in the bath. “I am going to get you some water. You need to rehydrate. Zayne, come with me.”
Andrej left the bathroom and Zayne grimaced. “I think you’re in trouble, cowboy,” James teased.
“Oh hell, when aren’t I,” he muttered, following Andrej out of the room. “Hey,” he said, catching up to his partner in the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I know I was supposed to make sure he put sunscreen on. But we got playing and –”
Andrej held up a hand. “It is okay, Zayne. He is an adult and should have remembered.” He sighed and pulled an insulated cup out of the cupboard. “He should not have needed prompting. I just hope that the burn isn’t too severe.”
“He’d just started turning pink when I noticed, so I think it won’t be too bad.” He hoped not anyway, or he’d never live it down.
Nodding, Andrej filled the cup with ice and water before mixing a packet of electrolyte powder into the cup. “Order some dinner,” he said, surprising Zayne. “Something light and not too greasy. And then make yourself a glass as well.” He held up James’ drink to make sure Zayne understood.
“On it,” he said, pulling out his phone and navigating to the app for their favorite salad and sandwich shop. A few minutes later, he wandered into the bathroom, cup in hand. “Dinner is ordered and should be here in twenty.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said. “Will you help him out of the tub?”
“I can get out on my own,” James said, yawning. “But I will need help with the aloe.”
“I can do that,” Zayne said, knowing he’d better offer at least.
“Thank you,” Andrej said. “I will go get things ready and wait for the food.
When he was gone, Zayne reached into the tub and let the water out. “Up and at ‘em, gingerbread,” he said. He held out one of those glorious towels.
“Okay, okay,” James said, laughing. He took the towel from Zayne and dried his hair while Zayne lightly patted him dry with the other. “Is it just me or was he not as angry as we expected?”
Zayne glanced at the door. “He’s probably going to blow up later, so be on your toes.” He made a face. “Although, he tends to only blow up at me in these situations.”
“So, you’d better be extra careful,” James said.
“Trust me, I will.” He tossed both towels into the laundry basket. “Ready for the aloe?”
“No, but go ahead anyway,” James joked. “I hate the smell of the stuff, but I know it’s necessary. By the way, what did you order me for dinner?”
“That weird nut and berry salad you like so much,” Zayne said, gingerly rubbing the aloe into James’ reddening shoulders. “And half a turkey club. Zek said to be light and healthy, but I snuck some bacon in there for you.”
James chuckled. “Of course you did, cowboy.” He grabbed the clean T-shirt and sweats Andrej had brought him and slipped into them, relieved at how good it felt. “Let me get your face and neck while we’re here,” he said. “You don’t look pink, but better we’re cautious then to find out in the morning we should have done this.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Zayne conceded, allowing James to return the favor. “Thanks,” he said, once he was fully covered.
“Dinner is here,” Andrej said, poking his head into the room, “if you two are quite finished.”
“He makes it sound like we were making out or something,” Zayne grumbled.
“He probably figured that was where we were headed,” James said.
“He’s probably right about that, too,” Zayne said, winking at James. “But I’m hungry.”
“Oh god,” James said, following Zayne out into the living room. “God help us all if you don’t get fed when you’re hungry.”
Zayne cackled and made a beeline for the kitchen, leaving James in his wake, shaking his head.
--
End note: if you have a Café Zuppas near you, their Nuts About Berries salad is the best. Jay says so.