Page 44 of Fear of Flying
Damn, he loved this. Loved it. Loved him.
They finally managed to pick a movie this time. One that had already started and was on some network cable channel, which meant the frustration of far-too-frequent commercial breaks. But Zach actually found it the opposite of frustrating, and not just because they’d both seen Back to the Future already, but because it left plenty of room for talking and flirting and kissing.
And as much as he enjoyed the latter two, talking with Drew was a dream come true all its own. They had just enough in common, but with sometimes differing opinions, that it made for wonderfully engaging conversations. So engaging, in fact, that even long after they’d finished their dinner, put everything aside on the cart, and turned off the TV, they were still up and snuggling and talking. Zach wasn’t sure how long it had been, but he was sure that he loved every single minute of it.
When he yawned, though—which then triggered Drew to yawn as well—they both had to admit that it was time to get some sleep. Even though they were practically in the airport and their flight wasn’t until just after lunchtime.
Drew patted Zach’s arm. “Up. You gotta move so I can use the bathroom and then brush my teeth.”
“But your lap is so comfy.” Zach groaned and then pouted, though he started getting up all the same.
Drew laughed lightly. “Ah, but the sooner we get ready for bed, the sooner we can be back here and snuggling again. For the whole night.”
Zach leaned in to capture Drew’s lips in a slow, relaxed kiss, lingering just a bit at the end to rest his forehead against Drew’s, his hand on Drew’s scruffy cheek. “You make an excellent point,” he admitted.
When he stood, still naked, he watched Drew’s gaze linger on him as he bent over to grab his boxer briefs and put them on. A rush of heat flooded through him, and the air seemed to stand still for a moment before Drew blew out a breath and shook his head as though to reset himself.
Their eyes met, and Drew’s cheeks pinked up as he smiled. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”
Zach’s heart fluttered madly in his chest as he tried to shrug nonchalantly.
Then Drew stood and put a hand on the room service cart. “I’ll move this out to the hall and—”
“Mmm. It’s okay.” Zach smiled and shook his head, dipping in for a quick kiss. His tone teasing, he added, “You made dinner, honey, I’ll do the dishes.” Then he stole one more kiss before Drew could react. And as he turned away, he caught the beginnings of a grin on Drew’s face and heard a sharp huff that might have been part groan.
Zach pushed the cart through the main room and put it out in the hallway before returning to the bedroom and grabbing his phone to check on their flight status one more time. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to have his phone start ringing in his hand, his mom’s bright, sunny face popping up on the caller ID. He let out a light laugh and shook his head before answering.
“Hey, Mom,” he said as he sat down on the bed, hitching one leg up beneath him. “You got my text, right?”
“Yes, I did, I did! You poor thing, stranded there all alone for days, and you still have to fly home—”
“Mom, actually, I—”
“Ah, sweetie, you’re right. I’m sorry. I won’t talk about flying right now! Except for the fact of your arrival. Jen gave me a call and said that something came up, and she won’t be able to pick you up after all, and so I’ll be there instead.”
“Yep, she sent me a text to let me know, so I—”
“Oh, I know, but I just thought I’d call to be sure, especially since yesterday there was that awful time when I couldn’t get through to you for hours...”
Zach closed his eyes, letting his mom drone on a bit, knowing she had to get it out of her system, talking about all the anxiety she had experienced yesterday. Yeah, he didn’t have to wonder where he’d gotten it from; they fed off each other all the time, though it’d been far worse growing up, when they’d spent so much time together under the same roof. He ran his hand over his face, trying to shake off the sleepiness for now, and opened his eyes again. If he kept them closed any longer, he’d be snoring before Drew came back out.
“I’m all set, it’s your turn, baby,” Drew said as he emerged from the bathroom, freezing mid-step as he realized Zach was on the phone.
“Zachary! Are you with someone? You’re with someone and you didn’t tell me?!”
His mother’s shrill exclamations rang in his ears. Drew was staring at him, a flustered look on his face, probably wondering whether or not the raised voice meant he’d given himself away. Zach grimaced and nodded.
“Mom, stop—”
“Zachary, it’s after eleven there! Does that mean—”
“Mom!” God, his cheeks were on fire.
“Zachary.” She was silent for half a second, and when she spoke again, her voice was a whisper. “Does that mean you met someone? You two are clearly an item if he’s calling you ‘baby.’ Is he coming to brunch this weekend?”
“Mom,” he started with a nervous laugh, “you woke the dead with your squealing—I’m pretty sure he heard you. I’m not talking about this right now. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you!” He said the last words in a rush, and he hung up and tossed his phone on the nightstand unceremoniously, then buried his face in his hands.
He was almost afraid to look up, but he could feel Drew approaching. And it was better just to know, right? Rip the bandage off.