Who: Remy Norris and Zayne Vandriel What: Coffee and Confessions When: December 8, 2017 Where: Starting at the cafe and moving to Zayne's
“Here is your coffee but first: cat, dog or other?” Zayne handed the coffee to the patron with a smile. The customer paused then said, “Dog. Definitely dog.” Zayne thanked them and went on to the next order, quickly whipping up the drink and asking that customer too their choice. That answer was cat. Argh, this was not making things any easier.
Zayne grabbed the next order and quickly prepared it. He glanced at the clock. Couple more minutes and he was done for the day. He turned and saw the name on the cup. Okay, if he was being honest? He had a crush on Remy Norris. He had talked to him a few times, usually here, but there was something dark and handsome about him. He really needed to shake that feeling. He was never going to be more than the guy who served coffee to him.
“Hey,” Zayne said, with a smile, as he handed the drink to Remy, “Question? Cat, dog or other?”
---
Remy smiled widely when Zayne handed over his coffee. He liked the young man. He always seemed like he was just genuinely happy. And it didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes. Remy had thought about trying to get to know him better but he hadn’t exactly had the opportunity.
At the question Remy tilted his head to the side. “See, now I need more information than that in order to answer. If you’re talking intelligence most cats are much smarter than dogs. I mean they don’t usually chase their tails or eat their own poop. But they’re also assholes. There’s a line saying that cats don’t have owners they have staff. Dogs are so much lovable and they are usually trinable. They meet you at the door when you get home. But you can’t leave them alone for very long and you have to take them outside to go to the bathroom or walk them in order to keep them in shape. Now a cat? You can leave them for days on end as long as they have food and water and a clean litterbox. Now if you get into the realm of other that covers a LOT of ground. I mean if you’re talking pets birds are okay but they make a mess and they never shut up. Reptiles are boring and having to feed them crickets or mice is creepy. Now a hedgehog? Those are super cute but smelly. Same with guinea pigs and hamsters and other small critters. But then again I’m usually too scatterbrained to be able to take care of anything alive. I can’t even deal with a plant. So in all reality if you ask me the only good pet is a rock.” He gave a nod as if that was a final exclamation point to his statement then grinned and took a sip of his coffee. “Did I pass?”
---
“You definitely passed,” Zayne said, his smile growing wider, “That was the best answer I’ve gotten all day. Definitely the most detailed one,” Zayne leaned against the counter, resting his chin on his palm, “Though that doesn’t really help me but you are right about reptiles. I don’t think I want one of those.” He tapped his chin with his index finger. He was still debating between cat, dog or both. He was definitely leaning towards both. The question was how would he get both. Or any, really.
---
Remy grinned at him and completely ignored anyone else that was in line behind him. Zayne was much more interesting anyway. “See now if you’re talking practically on this island I’d say you definitely need to stick to the pet rock. The annoying adult in me says even if there were cats or dogs here they wouldn’t exactly be easy to take care of. There’s not exactly a Petco down the street.” He shrugged. “But it’s still a fun thought. Now if I tell the adult side of me to fuck off I would vote cat because the way they purr is amazing.”
---
“But a pet rock isn’t exactly alive,” Zayne pointed out, “My apartment is entirely too empty and I was thinking pet. I was thinking cat or dog or maybe a chinchilla? Because I hear they are really soft,” he smiled softly, “The food and stuff is easy. Amazon delivers.” He heard rumours that packages and whatnot were searched but who really wanted to search an order of cat food? He looked Remy over, “So you are a cat guy over a dog guy?”
---
Remy raised both eyebrows at him. Okay so Zayne seemed to actually be serious about this. Remy gave him credit. It took a very positive, or deluded person to be able to think that a pet was a viable option in such a place. “Maybe. But you can’t exactly take it to a vet. And how would you even get it?” Remy shrugged. It wasn’t really his place to talk Zayne out of getting a pet. But he’d hate to see the man disappointed. “Me? I’ve never really had either one but I had a friend with a cat and I really liked when he curled up in my lap and purred.”
---
“I can’t be the only one who wants a pet on this island. Or someone must know how to take care of one if they are sick?” Zayne said, frowning now. These were very good points and Zayne knew it was going to be hard but it seemed like a good idea. Besides, a pet would be good company and not have to worry if it knew his secrets or not.
“See? You aren’t talking me out of cat now. I want a purring friend,” Zayne said.
---
“Oh I don’t disagree with you on either of those points. I just haven’t even tried. I’m too scatterbrained to try to do that much research and I’d never follow through and I’d be a horrible pet parent. So I’m not exactly the best person to ask.” He wasn't nearly as scatterbrained as he let on but he also wouldn’t put in the time to take care of a pet. That was a long term commitment and the only one of those he had or wanted was The Faction.
He smiled at Zayne’s comment. “How about if I tell you about the scars he left on my shoulder when he went psycho and shredded me while I was asleep.”
--- “Really?” Zayne asked, “You don’t get lonely at night? Or are you one of those lucky people that have a roommate?” Or are you one of those people with a family here? Zayne was glad that his family wasn’t here. He wondered what they would think. Nope. He wasn’t going to travel down that thought right now.
He was able to ask about the scars when one of Zayne’s coworkers nudged him with her hip and smiled, “Zayne. You are done now. Why don’t you clock out and run away from here?” He flashed a smile back and said, “Beautiful freedom.” He glanced to Remy, wondering if he would still be here if he left to clock out or if he would go on with his day. He would probably go on with his day. No reason to linger, right?
---
“Oh I never said that.” On the contrary. Remy was lonely most nights. It was only once in awhile he had someone warming his bed and even then they rarely stayed the night. Even if they did it didn’t go past breakfast. But he wasn’t going to get into that standing here with a barista over coffee.
Remy smiled. “Don’t let me keep you from your freedom. Better go clock out before they have you working a double.” Remy smiled and watched him go then found a spot by the door to wait for Zayne to come out after he finished what he needed to.
---
Zayne flashed Remy a quick smile and excused himself. He clocked out and removed his apron. He did pause in the bathroom to make sure he didn’t look all work sweaty and gross. His hair was getting flat but that could wait. He wondered if Remy would still be around. He assumed he wouldn’t be. So the plan would be that he would try to figure out how to get an animal.
Zayne came back out to the front of the shop and spotted Remy. He was still there. He walked over to him, a playful smile on his lips, “So does this mean I get to hear about those scars now?”
---
Remy greeted people who came and went while waiting for Zayne and sipping his coffee. He had been in a crappy mood when he had come into the shop in search of coffee but it seemed he was feeling better now. He was pretty sure that Zayne got all of the credit for that.
When Zayne came out Remy grinned over at him and pushed himself up from his lean against the wall. “Most definitely. Though they’re not that exciting. I did need stitches and antibiotics though.” He smiled. “Are you headed home?”
---
“We can share war stories if that helps,” Zayne said. Did this mean Remy was waiting for him? No, he was sure it was just a coincidence that Remy was still here. He was not going to put that much stock into it. Or maybe he could? Just a wee bit?
Zayne shrugged, “I was thinking about looking for stray animals that needed a home but that may be difficult being on an island and all.” He wondered if there was somewhere he could put an official request for an animal. He would rather go to the humane society and get one from there. He wondered if they would ship them to the island.
---
“That works for me though I don’t want to scare you off.” Remy grinned at Zayne. “So I suppose it depends on what kind of stories you want to hear. Though he scar story isn’t exactly exciting.” Remy chuckled softly.
“Well I was going to walk with you but I’m not sure I’d be good to help with that. I’m too loud and clumsy and I would scare any potential animals off.” He thought it would be a futile attempt but if Zayne wanted to he’d leave him to it.
—-
Zayne glanced to Remy and said, “Now I’m curious to what sort of war stories could scare me off.” Should he be worried about any stories Remy could have that could be potentially scary? Perhaps but he wasn’t and he wanted to hear them all.
“How about just a random walk instead?” Zayne replied. He shrugged, “I don’t really think I’ll find anything but rats and pigeons on this island anyway and while rats are supposed to be really smart, not exactly what I’m looking for.”
---
Oh Remy had plenty of scary ones but those he wasn’t about to share, for many reasons. Least of all the fact it would expose his position in the faction. He laughed covering up that thought. “I also may be full of shit. I’m not exactly that exciting.” Remy grinned at him.
“That sounds nice. I’d like that.” Remy smiled then relaxed hearing that Zayne wasn’t quite as gung-ho about finding a pet as he had feared. “Yeah probably not.”
—-
Zayne grinned back and said, “Awww, are you trying to impress me?” He nudged him gently and then turned to the door, “Shall we?” He opened the door out of the cafe and held it for Remy.
Zayne picked a random direction and began to walk. He glanced at Remy. Hee. “So. I’ve seen you around in the cafe a lot but I have no idea what you do.”
---
Remy laughed easily and nudged Zayne back. “I hadn’t been but now that you mention it did it work?” He winked then motioned for Zayne to lead the way before following out behind him, thanking him for holding the door.
As Zayne began walking Remy fell into stride beside him. “I’m a lab tech at the medical facility. Science geek.” Remy smiled.
—
Zayne grinned back and said, “Maybe. It probably would have depended on the story.” He laughed. Did war stories impress him? Not really. It didn’t unimpress him either. He didn’t really have a lot of war stories himself. He did have a scar on his arm from when he fell off the stage during a show but that wasn’t exactly a story he could tell.
“Science was never really my strength in school,” he did like drawing those cell diagrams, however, “What does a lab tech do?”
---
“That was kind of my thought. And I don’t have anything much more exciting or heroic than being scratched by the cat and not throwing it across the room.” Of course that was far from the truth but he wasn’t about to begin telling stories of his work with the Faction or how many people he watched die trying to help them before and after coming to the island.
“Science was about the only class I actually showed up for in high school. The rest were boring.” Remy smiled a little. “I mostly run tests and interpret results to run more tests. Not very exciting.”
—-
“Very heroic not to throw poor kitty across the room,” Zayne said with a teasing smile. Though he was slightly concerned for kitty now, “So what happened that kitty wanted to scratch you?”
Zayne peeked at Remy again, “You didn’t like high school? It always sounded so interesting to me; the classes, group projects, working with everyone and dances and whatnot.” He wished he had the high school experience.
---
“I was sound asleep on the couch so I have no idea what I did to piss him off. We’ve come up with some pretty funny stories but only the cat knows the truth about that one I’m afraid.” Remy chuckled softly to himself.
Remy shook his head. “No. I was not a fan of high school. But I was also a self absorbed, rich kid with too much intelligence. I could get all A’s without showing up at school so I didn’t bother except to make sure I didn’t flunk out. The … social shit that you mention? I wasn’t a fan of that. It was always awkward and nothing but a popularity contest and people trying to be my best friend to get my money.” Remy shrugged. “I’m probably not the best person to get that kind of perspective from.”
---
“Oh, so you were in his spot,” Zayne replied, “Really, you should have known better than to take his spot.” Zayne couldn’t help but nudge Remy gently, smiling to show he was kidding. Hey, if he was a cat? He would fight for his favourite spot too.
“I will gladly eat up any kind of perspective,” Zayne said. He wondered what kind of kid he would have been in high school. He couldn’t decide if he, being like he was then, would have been popular or if he would have been like he is now and a bit awkward. “Was there any part of high school you liked?”
---
Remy laughed and nudged him back, grinning at Zayne. “You know, you’re probably exactly right. And according to him I wasn’t intelligent enough to know that it was his spot. So I had to be punished.” He chuckled softly. He really couldn’t argue about someone being in his favorite spot.
“Any part I liked? Not really.” He shrugged. “I mean I liked hanging out with my friends and partying but that wasn’t related to high school in any way. It was kind of a really crappy part of my life to be honest.” Remy tilted his head as he looked at Zayne. “So why didn’t you go to high school?”
---
“You clearly ignored the fact that it smelt like him,” Zayne replied. Yeah, Remy had an adorable smile. It wasn’t fair. Really, someone should not be allowed to look that good when smiling and someone else? Should not be thinking that so much. Zayne nudged back, “FYI? If you are in my favourite spot? I’ll just sit on you.”
“Wasn’t the partying part supposed to be for college?” Zayne asked, another thing he had not done. He supposed that was his own fault. He wanted to but he always felt he was tempting fate if he applied and then he came here and that seemed out of the question now. He should have expected that question but it threw him for a loop. He did have a standard answer, which was to shrug his shoulders and reply with, “Home schooled.” Not a lie.
---
“Exactly. And I paid for it.” Remy chuckled softly. He had picked up on the fact that Zayne had a bit of a crush on him. He didn’t mind because he found Zayne attractive and he seemed like a nice guy. He was enjoying being able to talk to him like this. “Yeah? I would not object to that.”
“Oh I did a lot of partying in college too.” Remy chuckled softly. “But in college I actually began to enjoy the school part. It was finally interesting and I got more of a choice about the classes I took. I also got away from my father then and that was a huge win for me.” He tilted his head when Zayne said he was home schooled. He had picked up on the fact that he caught him off guard but didn’t think much about it. Remy was so used to ignoring the white noise in his head and the constant bombardment of voices and emotions that it was fairly easy to just push things off. He had no reason to think Zayne was hiding anything so he just moved on. “Oh wow. I never really knew anyone who was homeschooled. I was probably just too social.” Remy smield.
---
“Now you just need to figure out where my spot is,” Zayne said. He liked this, this banter back and forth. It definitely wasn’t helping with the crush but if they became friends then that would be cool enough for Zayne. He needed more friends and reasons to get out of the apartment.
“You didn’t get along with your parents?” Zayne asked. He paused, “If that’s too personal, you can just tell me to shut up.” He slid his hands into his pockets. He was being weird now, wasn’t he? “Well now you have met me. Colour me envious that you went to school. And college. I would love to hear more about that too.”
---
“Oh I think we can work on that for sure.” Remy grinned at him and gave him a little wink. He was definitely enjoying Zayne’s company. He was very different from most of the people he spent time with and Remy liked that. He was a breath of fresh air in a sense.
“I got along with my mother really well but my father was an asshole. He was the CEO of a big company and expected all of us kids to follow in his footsteps. I rebelled in pretty much the worst way until my parents divorced. Then I moved with my mother and said fuck you to that asshole.” He tilted his head when he saw Zayne stuff his hands into his pockets. He seemed nervous. “Not a whole lot to tell. A lot of going to class and partying on the weekends. You okay?”
---
Zayne flashed Remy a smile. That just meant that he needed to figure out his favourite spot. Or maybe the next time he saw Remy sitting somewhere, he would claim that as his favourite and sit on his lap.
Zayne nodded, pausing before saying, “Sounds like the opposite of me and my parents. My mom and I… didn’t get along. She had dreams for me and my dad went along with things. I guess it was easier.” He may say that but he still missed his parents. Christmas was the worst and with Christmas everywhere, it was no wonder he was thinking about them. He looked to Remy, “Are your parents here? Or on the mainland?” Zayne swallowed at the question and nodded. He couldn’t really say that he was worried about making a good impression, “I should have brought coffee with me. I never know what to do with my hands.”
---
Remy focused on Zayne as he spoke both because he didn’t want to miss anything and it kept him from getting distracted by the ‘noise’ in his head. He wanted to focus on what Zayne was saying, not what he was thinking. “I imagine sometimes it’s easier to just go along than to fight.” Oh he had thought that many times but he much preferred the fight. At least now anyway. At the question about his parents Remy went quiet for a moment. “I don't know, honestly.” He answered softly. “I hadn’t spoken to my dad in years and I was on vacation when the shit hit the fan. I didn’t get a chance to check on my mother before I was sent here. So ..” He shrugged then looked over at Zayne as he said he should have bought coffee. Reaching over he took one of Zayne’s hands in his. “I have this one.” He smiled.
---
Zayne nodded. It had been easier to go along than to fight but going along had hurt more in the end. He didn’t want to fight. He had no power then but, he gave himself a shake. Maybe this topic, even if it was about Remy’s parents, was too painful right now. He turned his focus back to Remy.
“Sometimes,” Zayne agreed. He smiled softly when Remy took his hand and he squeezed it lightly, “If it helps, I don’t know where my parents are either.” That wasn’t exactly true. He had seen his mother on TV. He assumed his father was in the background. He could follow what his siblings were doing through the news. They were all safe and away from all this. He squeezed Remy’s hand again and looked to him, hoping to lighten the mood, “So now that you have it, what are you going to do with it?” He flashed a cheeky grin to Remy.
---
Remy wasn’t thinking about the fact that touching would make it harder to not use his powers of telepathy. He could feel the pain from Zayne when he mentioned his parents. He suspected there was more to the statement that Zayne didn’t know where his parents were but he didn’t want to push. The whole talk about missing relatives was painful for both of them. He could feel that Zayne was trying to lighten the mood when he squeezed his hand. Smiling he brought their joined hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of Zayne’s. “Well that for starters.” He gave him a wink.
---
Zayne felt his cheeks warm when Remy kissed the back of his hand. That? Was not helping his crush. He glanced at Remy. Okay. So he may ruin his chances of anything after this but he had to do this. It was an invite, right?
He stopped walking and slid in front of Remy. He looked him in the eye, his heart was racing a little, as he asked, “What about this?” Then he leaned forward and kissed Remy on the lips.
---
Remy couldn’t help but smile when he saw the blush to Zayne’s cheeks. He hadn’t exactly meant to make the man blush but it was a positive reaction in his mind. He smiled, pleased with the reaction.
When Zayne stopped Remy did too and watched him as he stepped in front of him. He held the gaze then met the movement, his lips meeting Zayne’s. Letting the kiss linger for a moment he wrapped an arm around Zayne’s waist and pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss.
---
It was that moment Zayne realised that maybe he didn’t have a clue how Remy felt about him. Holding his hand did not mean he liked guys or that he wanted to be kissed by a guy. Remy seemed really nice and playful and nothing actually told him that he would welcome what Zayne was going to do and on this island, it seemed anyway, that rejection could go a lot worse than not on the island.
But Remy did not shove him off and yell at him. Actually, Zayne felt his arm and he moved closer, kissing him again and deeper. Damn, Remy was a good kisser and here they were, standing in the middle of the street, or rather sidewalk, kissing and Zayne did not want to stop. He reached up, cupping the back of Remy’s neck as he kissed him.
---
Remy liked people. Well, Remy liked good people. He cared little about gender. What mattered to him was what was in someone’s heart as cheesy as that was. His empathy and telepathy together gave him a good read of people. It wasn’t a guarantee but it usually was a good start. Every time he had talked to Zayne or interacted with him in any way he got the feeling that he was genuinely a good person and now it was even more obvious to him.
As he kiss deepened and Remy felt the hand on the back of his neck he purred softly, deep in his chest. It felt good and he cared little about their location. He probably should care more but he was a little distracted. When they both needed to breathe Remy broke the kiss and smiled. “That was really nice.”
—-
Zayne needed that noise again in his life. He wasn’t sure how but he wanted to hear it again. When the kiss broke, Zayne couldn’t hide the smile, or raising an eyebrow when Remy said nice. Was nice a good word for this? Or was it just nice? Nice did not necessarily mean he wanted to do it again. Yup, he was over thinking and he needed to stop that.
“It was,” Zayne said, stepped back slightly. He glanced up at Remy. This was where they resume walking, right? He moved to stand next to Remy so they could resume their walk.
---
Remy has meant the nice to mean a lot more than the word itself meant. He chuckled softly at the eyebrow raise but didn’t worry about explaining further. Instead he stole a quick kiss before Zayne could step away.
When Zayne moved back to his side Remy took his hand again and smiled over at him. “Do you want to keep walking or go relax somewhere? I’m game for either. I have nowhere to be for a while.”
—-
Zayne smiled bigger at the stole kiss. Yeah, he wanted to do that again. He laced his fingers with Remy’s, instanting liking the idea of going somewhere. He immediately thought of his place. His instruments were still in his bedroom so that was safe.
“Did you want to go back to my place? It’s not that far from here,” Zayne offered, “I should warn you, it may have vomited Christmas last night. I got a tree and some tinsel and I made gingerbread men last night.” He didn’t sleep much last night, did he? Eh. That was what coffee was for. “I’ll even share cookies, if you are hungry.”
---
Remy grinned when Zayne laced their fingers together. It felt good. And for the first time in a while he was able to just relax and enjoy the company.
“Okay you said the magic word. I can hardly turn down cookies. I try not to cook because I tend to just make a big mess. But I love cookies.” He grinned at Zayne. “And I like Christmas decorations so I don’t mind that at all. Though I really hope you didn’t actually vomit them. That would suck.” He really should just create some of his own but he never got around to it. He rarely get festive enough.
—-
“I don’t mind cooking,” Zayne said, “Not that I’m saying I’m any good at it but I like the idea of doing it for myself.” Or at least the idea of having a home cooked meal, though it sucked to cook for one sometimes.
Zayne laughed and shook his head, “I didn’t actually vomit them. That sounds painful but I hit up the marketplace pretty hard for what they had. It was either that or order off of Amazon and I wanted them now. It’s really a surprise I don’t have glitter on me.”
---
“I probably would be a better cook if I didn’t get distracted so easily. I have an extremely short attention span when it comes to some things. And cooking is definitely one of those things.” Remy chuckled to himself. He admittedly saved his concentration for more important things like working and the Faction. “But I can’t deny home cooked food is the best.”
“Ah, yes. That sounds much better than vomiting them. And instant gratification definitely has its benefits. And then you’re still in the mood once you got them home instead of them showing up so many days later and by then you’re like ‘nah’.” Remy grinned at Zayne. “Maybe you do and it just looks good so people don’t notice.” Remy gave him a wink.
---
“So do you normally do take out?” Zayne asked. Now he was curious to what Remy’s favourite foods. He wondered if it would be assuming too much if he made some meals for Remy. Probably. They were just talking.
Zayne tilted his head slightly, “Do I have glitter?” He was curious now. He didn’t mind having glitter but it wasn’t intended and now he wanted to know. Zayne turned slightly to lead Remy back towards his place.
---
“Yeah, most of the time. Or I eat at the diner. Or wherever. I’m also pretty handy with the microwave and I make a mean sandwich.” Remy grinned over at him. He never went hungry even if it meant eating cold cuts and french fries more often than not. “I’m not a picky eater. Which is probably a good thing.”
Remy chuckled softly. “I don’t see any glitter on you. So I think you’re safe at the moment.” He grinned over at Zayne then went with him easily as they headed in a new direction.
---
Zayne liked the diner and he always eyeballed their milkshakes. It took many internal lectures to not order one. He was trying hard to stick to a vegan lifestyle, even if once in a while he would cheat and cave in. He glanced to Remy and decided just to ask, “Maybe one night I’ll bring you by food after work? You can have a home cooked meal that isn’t made with a microwave.” He smiled; he was mostly teasing. He didn’t cook with a microwave.
“At the moment,” Zayne agreed. Though there may be an option that one day he may wear glitter. Then again, glitter wasn’t usually a wear to work sort of look for him. “So. What do you do when you aren’t at the lab?”
---
“I would definitely not object you bringing me food, ever. Especially if it means you’ll actually hang out and eat with with me. And for the record I used to be vegan. But it’s damn hard to get enough to eat on this island and stick to that. I try to stay away from red meat still but I’ve given up on being super picky about it. I’d rather not go hungry. I get really crabby and piss people off.” Remy smiled over at Zayne. He didn’t realize that he had read the vegan part from his mind and that he hadn’t spoken out loud. When Remy got comfortable with someone or distracted he sometimes forgot that most people couldn’t read minds, even here.
“I suspect you would look good in glitter.” Remy smiled over at Zayne then tilted his head slightly at the question. “I uh … I play a little guitar. I’m a movie junkie. My netflix account is very well used.”
---
Zayne opened his mouth to say that he would not be opposed to hanging out and eating with Remy then paused. Wait. Did he say he was vegan? He didn’t think he did. He didn’t tend to bring it up unless he had to. Some people thought he would get preachy if he mentioned it and he really didn’t. His personal choice and no one else’s.
He laughed lightly, “Yeah, it’s hard to stick with it sometimes but I do what I can,” he paused, “I feel silly. I totally didn’t think I mentioned that but I guess I did. This just means I’m going to bring over something super wonderful and you’ll going to want to eat from my kitchen all the time.”
Zayne felt conflicted when Remy said he played guitar. A part of him wanted to ask a few more questions and ask about Remy’s musical preferences and find out more. He also was playing the role of a musical nobody on the island and he couldn’t ask. “Oh? Are you binge watching anything?”
---
Remy mentally slapped himself when Zayne mentioned that he didn’t think he had said it out loud. He realized that Zayne hadn’t and he had picked it up from his mind. But he didn’t want to exactly come out and say he could read his mind. That usually freaked people out and made them suspicious and guarded. He decided not to confirm or deny. It was safer that way. “You are more than willing to convince me of wanting to eat from your kitchen all the time. Just be warned you might be stuck with me all the time if you do that.” He grinned at Zayne hoping they would drop the whole ‘how did he find out’ part.
Remy could feel how conflicted Zayne was. He was curious what had him all knotted up but once again he didn’t want to give away his powers. Not until he got to know him better so he just let it slide. Maybe later he could figure out what type of nerve he had hit and how to avoid it. “I just started binging on Stargate SG-1. I have a huge crush on Richard Dean Anderson.”
---
“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Zayne said, smiling again. Zayne had almost convinced himself that he must have spoken out loud even though he was really sure he hadn’t. He glanced to Remy. There wasn’t any other logic explanation except he forgot that sometimes this island wasn’t logical. Sometimes logic was defyed here.
“I can’t say I have ever watched that,” Zayne paused, “Wait. That’s MacGyver, right? My dad loves that show.”
---
“Well some people might think it is. It would be up to you to decide.” Remy winked at Zayne. He actually didn’t spend that much time with any one person. He tended to spend a little bit of time with a lot of people. And the people he was closest to he actually didn’t spend a lot of time with. It wouldn’t do to see the faction leaders constantly together.
“Yes he plays MacGyver and you just made me feel really old.” Remy pouted at Zayne for a moment.
—-
“It hasn’t been a bad thing so far,” Zayne replied. He didn’t think it would turn into a bad thing. Either way, he was willing to find out with Remy and if that meant he had to make twice the meals, Zayne was okay with that.
“Ha, sorry,” Zayne laughed, shaking his head, “I didn’t mean to make you feel old, especially when you aren’t. I’m sure he has been in more recent things. Like Stargate.” Wasn’t that an older show too? He was not going to say that now. Maybe he should stop while he was ahead. Or before he said something out loud again that he didn’t mean to.
---
“Well I’m glad to hear that since we’re just getting started.” Remy grinned and winked at Zayne. He was enjoying the other man’s company and he didn’t want to ruin it.
“Don’t worry about it.” Remy chuckled softly. “I like that show too. And Stargate isn’t exactly a new show either.” He picked up on Zayne’s worry about saying things out loud and felt bad. He hadn’t meant to cause him to second guess himself but he worried the truth would be worse. “How long have you been on the island?”
—-
They reached the apartment where Zayne lived and he opened the door, leaving Remy to his place. He hesitated for a second, mentally checking that everything was okay, before opening the door and letting Remy to enter in first.
“So it’s worth watching?” Zayne asked. He paused at the question, shutting the door behind him, “About six months? How about you?”
---
Remy smiled when Zayne opened the door for him. “Thanks.” Stepping in he looked around, immediately taking in everything he could in a glance. It was instinct at this point. He always found every exit and looked for hiding places and anything that might give him a heads up that things weren’t what they appeared to be. Nothing was off with Zayne’s place and Remy was glad for that. He couldn’t completely let his guard down yet but it was comforting.
“I think so. But I’m kind of a sci-fi junky. So it depends on what you’re into.” Remy turned to look at Zayne when he answered. Six months? Wow. Not very long at all. Maybe that explained the pet thing. “I’ve been here since the beginning. That’s what...over five years ago?” It surprised him to think about it and actually say it out loud.
—-
Zayne had decorated his apartment with silver and green Christmas colourings. He had a tree (fake of course) in the corner, with glass ornaments. He probably spent too much money on decorating for a few weeks but it made him happy. It almost reminded him of home.
“So Star Trek and Star Wars and… I don’t know a lot of sci-fi. I did see Ender’s Game, which was interesting,” Zayne said, “Oh wow, you have been here quite a while,” Zayne said, sitting on the couch and motioning for Remy to sit with him, “You must know everything about the island then.” And if there is ever any hope of getting off.
---
Remy smiled as he looked around at the decorations. “Wow. You did go all out. I like it. Very festive and it’s very….warm. Nice job.” Not like Zayne was asking for his opinion but Remy enjoyed it and wanted him to know.
“Enders Game was good. Though I actually read the books and I liked that better. Which is impressive. I don’t read much.” When Zayne made the comment about him knowing everything about the island Remy had to keep his expression off of his face. “Oh not everything. But a lot I suppose.” He shrugged hoping Zayne would drop it. And he really hoped he didn’t wake about how to get off the island.
—-
“Thanks,” Zayne said. He usually had candles lit at night. He liked the lighting of candles but he wasn’t going to do that now.
“Did you read the whole series? I know there was more than one. I haven’t actually read them myself,” Zayne said quickly. Zayne smiled softly and said, “Maybe you can show me the more unknown parts of the island. Or your favourite parts of the island.” Zayne wasn’t referring to the places where they weren’t allowed. They weren’t allowed for a reason. Right?
---
“I did, actually. I don’t read a lot but I kind of got hooked on that one and just kept going until I got to the end. It’s a bit sad. I much preferred Harry Potter.” Remy shrugged at his own comment. “I’m not sure I have a favorite part. But I can definitely show you around. I’m not sure I’ll be able to show you anything you haven’t seen before yet. This place isn’t exactly large.” He chuckled though it wasn’t exactly in amusement. He wasn’t about to show Zayne the places he knew weren’t allowed but he could get into. He wasn’t going to bring an innocent into the crosshairs.
---
“I’m going to need to get my hands on that series then,” Zayne said, “But Harry Potter? That I’ve read and loved. My sister had the biggest crush on the guy who played Draco.” He remembered when they got to meet the stars of Harry Potter. Dorothea spent the entire night flirting with Tom Felton. It had been cool to meet them. It made the movies feel a little less magical but the books? They still felt like magic.
“I’d like that,” Zayne said. He paused for a moment, “Can I ask? What your powers are?” He paused again. Saying powers made it sound like there were superheroes around or something. It was a mutation but that sounded like they had all grown a third eye. He would just go with powers until he could figure out a third word.
---
“I think I have it. I’ll take a look when I get home. If not you can probably find it online.” Books like that weren’t usually blocked so he didn’t think Zayne would have any trouble. He chuckled softly at the comment about Harry Potter. “I really can’t blame her. Though I had a thing for Snape. See, apparently I like older men.” Remy laughed at himself.
When Zayne asked about powers Remy barely managed to stop himself from wincing. He looked over at Zayne, trying to get a read on why he was asking the question. His powers weren’t exactly a secret from the government. He hadn’t been able to keep them completely hidden as much as he had tried. But he was pretty sure they didn’t know the strength of them or the scope. But he didn’t get the feeling from Zayne that he was asking for nefarious purposes. He was just curious. And .. something else? He wasn’t sure what the other feeling he got was but it was directed internally, not at him. “I don’t want to freak you out.”
---
“Thanks,” Zayne said. He wasn’t worried. He was sure he could find it online and he was getting really good at ordering things through Amazon. Even if the packages were searched, which was ridiculous because it was just Amazon. Then again, this island wasn’t paradise. Zayne gave Remy a double tag, “Snape? Really?” He might be judging the hair decision. Just a little.
Zayne saw the reaction and wondered if that was a bad question. He almost said that Remy didn’t have to tell him if he didn’t want to but then Remy spoke, which made Zayne all that much more curious. What powers could he have that would freak him out?
“You won’t,” Zayne said, “Is it weird? Or gross?”
---
“Of course. I just have to figure out which box it’s in. I’ve still never completely unpacked as bad as that is.” Remy shook his head at himself. “Maybe some day I’ll get all of the boxes open.” He shrugged slightly then gave him a crooked smile at the Snape comment. “I know I know. I just love Alan Rickman. I’m weird. I know.”
Remy looked at Zayne and scratched at his own chin. Zayne was likely to find out eventually if they were going to spend any time together. So he might as well show him now? He’d at least have his answer.
Looking over at Zayne he spoke into his mind and didn’t move his lips. You never spoke the comment about being vegan out loud. I read it in your mind.
---
“You haven’t finished unpacking? In five years?” Zayne asked. He glanced around his apartment. He had finished but then again, he hadn’t brought much either. The things that were most important to him were hidden in his bedroom. Zayne raised a hand, “Okay. I can’t fault you for that. But the hair. Think of the hair.” Zayne laughed.
Zayne did not expect a demonstration and to hear Remy in his head and to hear that he could read it, Zayne almost felt off the couch in shock. The first thing he thought of was that Remy had to know, he had to know who he was and everything he had been not saying and that scared him a lot more than the fact that Remy could read his mind. Zayne took a deep breath, trying to calm himself from freaking out. Didn’t he say he wouldn’t freak out?
“You can read my thoughts?” Zayne asked. Because repeating the obvious make things clearer.
---
“Yes. I know. It’s pretty sad. But I have all of the important things. Mostly what's still packed is things like books I’ve already read or clothes I don't need or don’t wear.” Remy shrugged then laughed when Zayne raised a hand and commented about the hair. “What can I say. I like it.” He shrugged again.
Remy had expected Zayne to freak even when he said he wouldn’t. Though he hadn’t expected the bombardment of thoughts involving Remy finding out who he was. Remy hadn’t even picked up on the fact he wasn’t who he said he was and he began to panic until he realized that Zayne wasn’t hiding because he was government. It was something else.
He switched back to speaking out loud. “I can. Yes. Thought for the most part I can keep myself from most of it. Unless there are louder thoughts or feelings. Then I can’t filter them out. Like I picked up on the vegan thing. And just now you were panicking because you thought I knew who you really are but … I don’t. And now you have me worried.”
---
Zayne couldn’t help it and he leaned forward to whisper in Remy’s ear, “I’m just glad you don’t have Snape hair. I like your hair how it is.” He grinned as he leaned back. Then again Snape hair? Would be a huge turn off and Remy was anything but that.
Zayne listened as Remy spoke out loud. He was glad that Remy did. It made things feel a bit more normal, even if he was worried that Remy knew. He tried to tell himself that Remy didn’t show any sides of knowing but he also didn’t exactly tell him that he didn’t say vegan out loud.
“You can filter? So you don’t hear everything? But if you wanted to, you could?” Zayne asked. He looked down. He should say something. He hesitated and went with, “Why are you worried?” A part of Zayne still thought that maybe Remy knew. He also didn’t want to believe that Remy would lie. There was no reason to think that he would. Right? Maybe.
---
A small shiver went through Remy when Zayne whispered in his ear. That closeness and slight intimacy tingled a little and he liked it. But then Zayne’s words sunk in and he laughed. “Well I’m glad you like it.” He winked at him.
At Zayne’s questions Remy nodded. “It takes a lot of concentration and practice but I can essentially ignore most of the chatter I get from people. My skills are pretty basic so I have to be in relatively close proximity anyway. So unless I’m in a huge group it’s almost second nature to ignore the thoughts. But yes, if I wanted to listen to everything you were thinking I could. Especially being this close.” Remy scratched at his chin again as Zayne asked why he was worried. “I kind of opened myself up to you and made myself vulnerable. If you weren’t a good person or we’re out to get me you’d have quite the opportunity to do some harm. But I don’t think that’s why you’re hiding.”
—-
Whisper was not the only thing Zayne had wanted to do but it wasn’t really the time yet. Though now the moment had really passed as they moved onto talking to more serious things. Zayne wanted to believe Remy that he had no idea. He liked Remy and he did promise he wasn’t going to freak out, even though he sort had. Now his secret was up. If he didn’t share, would Remy just find out? What was basic skills in this? What was basic skills on this island at all? Zayne shifted, leaning against the arm of the sofa, facing Remy. He pulled a leg up and put his arms around it, resting his chin on his knee.
“I have no reason to want to hurt you,” Zayne asked, knowing that there were bad people on this island. He sighed softly, “Though I suppose if you think people do, those people would say that too and you have no reason to trust me. I’m just the guy who serves coffee.” Not exactly how he wanted to be when he left but it was still better. Sort of. Those thoughts weren’t for now. God, was Remy reading those? He just said it was second nature to filter them out.
Zayne was quiet for another moment, “I don’t want you to not trust me and I don’t want you to worry. But no one here knows this. Not anyone and I really need to keep it like that.” He looked up at Remy, wondering what he was thinking now.
---
Remy would have liked more than the whisper but he wanted this to be more than just a quick fling. Which was what he normally had. He liked Zayne. Found him fun and interesting on top of being extremely attractive. Maybe once they go through this? He could hope.
As Zayne spoke Remy concentrated on tying to keep his mind separate from Zayne’s. It was difficult being this close and not completely tuning him out all together. “You’re more than just the guy who serves coffee.” Remy said softly as he looked over at him.
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m not trying to push you. I swear it wouldn’t go beyond this room. Though you have no reason to believe me or trust me. So I completely understand if you don’t want to share. And I will try my best to stay out of your head.” Remy sighed softly. “I hate when this screws things up but it’s better you know now than finding out later.”
—-
Zayne looked up at Remy again. Was he more than the guy that served coffee? He would overthink that later. Right now he was trying to decide if he wanted to be just the guy who served coffee or if he wanted to be Alistair Anderson. Sometimes he missed being Alistair. Or he missed certain parts. He wasn’t sure if there was a middle ground. He wondered if Remy ever listened to his siblings’ music. Or his own. Sometimes it was easy to forget that his fame was not just because of their music but because of his as well.
Still he also couldn’t not tell Remy. His family was so close to the surface lately, with the holidays, it was when he missed them the most. Remy would pick up on it and if he was worried, to know there was this secret between them? Remy may never trust him and he might as well be the guy with coffee instead of the guy whispering in Remy’s ear, running his fingers through his hair before kissing him deeply.
“No, you’re right. It’s better to know now than finding out later,” Zayne agreed. He looked away for a moment then said, “You ever heard of Alistair Anderson?” He was sure Remy had, “He was one of the Anderson siblings, who did that who Brady bunch type music until his older brother wanted to go off on his own and then the group sort of fell apart but Alistair kept doing music because he was good at it. Then he disappeared.” He glanced to Remy, hoping he knew of him, at least.
---
Remy stayed quite and mostly still while Zayne was working through things and when he was speaking. He didn’t want to make things worse or difficult by being fidgity or interrupting. This wasn’t something that should be rushed. It was important to him that they work though this if they were going to be friends. Or maybe more? He liked the idea of more but that was for later.
“I know the name, yes.” Remy confirmed. He wasn’t overly familiar but he also hadn’t been living under a rock either. His eyes narrowed a little in thought when Zayne mentioned the disappearance. “That part I remember.” He tilted his head as he looked at Zayne. “You’re Alistair, aren’t you?” It was stated like a question but it wasn’t.
---
Zayne nodded, looking down at his hands. He took a deep breath, needing to say this before anything else, “I loved being Alistair. I loved performing and I love music but it was too much. It was tour after tour and constantly being in the spotlight and I told my mother that I needed a break, I needed to step away, just for a bit but I was worth too much. I made too much money for the label and they kept throwing dates at me, trying to label me and, it was my sister’s idea because she saw how depressed I was getting. We both knew that was the only way to make it stop and I know… I know I had the dreams of many but I couldn’t do it anymore. So I ran. I disappeared. I became someone else so I didn’t suffocate.” Then this happened and even if I wanted to go back, I can’t now. He didn’t want to go back. He didn’t mind the quiet life, not really.
He glanced up at Remy, wondering what he thought of him. He wished he had Remy’s ability for a moment, just so he knew what he was thinking, if he was judging him for running away.
---
Remy continued to stay quiet while Zayne spoke. It actually didn’t surprise him. Maybe it should have but he thought he understood what Zayne was saying. He could understand the suffocation. That’s what he had been feeling before he finally left with his mother. It wasn’t quite at the same level. But he at least understood the sentiment.
When Zayne finished Remy looked at him for a moment. He took in the emotions that went with his words. Instead of responding verbally he leaned over, cupped both of Zayne’s cheeks and kissed him, slowly.
---
Zayne did not expect Remy to lean over and cup his cheeks. He didn’t expect the kiss either. He closed his eyes and kissed him back. Yes, he still wanted to know what Remy was thinking but maybe the kiss wasn’t a judgment or a damnation. Zayne was so sure that people, if they knew, would ask why he would leave; why would he leave being Alistair Anderson and the fame and wonder that went with it. Why would he not want the dream so many people wanted? Why didn’t he fight harder for something else? Why would he just leave? He knew his answer was the only answer for him at the time.
When the kiss broke, Zayne put his hand over Remy’s, so he didn’t pull away and he looked at him, “Still worried?”
---
When the kiss broke Remy met Zayne’s eyes. “No.” He smiled then leaned in for another kiss, though this one was more brief. “And to answer your questions I understand a little bit how you felt. My life wasn’t quite the same but my father was the CEO of Nike. He expected me to be a businessman like him. To take over the company when he retired. It was the last thing I wanted so I rebelled any way I could. It wasn’t until my mom divorced him and I had a choice to go with her I got away.” He brushed a thumb over Zayne’s lips. “So I get it. At least in a way.”
---
Zayne didn’t look away from Remy. He felt a wave of relief when Remy did speak. He was glad that Remy did not judge him, did not think less of him for running away. This time of year, especially, was hard for Zayne. The radio played songs from him and his siblings. His family did a cheesy Christmas special and they would talk about missing him and hoping Alistair was okay. They didn’t talk about how depressed he was before he left. They ignored the reality. Or maybe they wanted to paint a pretty picture for the fans.
“Thank you,” Zayne said softly, “It’s hard when…” he trailed off, not sure how to finish that. It was hard when family didn’t understand didn’t want to. It was hard when family saw you as a dollar sign. He put on a small smile, “I tried to rebel too but the blog sites went crazy over it. That wasn’t good for my image.”
---
“Its hard when the people who should care about you most are the ones who seem to completely ignore how much you’re hurting.” Remy said softly and brushed a thumb over Zayne’s lips again. “And this time of year you can’t get away from it, can you?” Remy shook his head at himself. “I’m not helping. You don’t need me reiterating what you’re thinking and feeling. It’s bad enough to feel it.”
Remy smiled a little when he mentioned trying to rebel. “That’s kindof the point. But then again I was quite the master of making a scene. Though my dad didn’t care. It was more publicity for him. You weren’t exactly in the same boat.” Bringing a hand up he threaded fingers into Zayne’s hair. “Thank you for telling me.”
---
Zayne nodded softly, he didn’t want to move too much. He liked the feeling of Remy’s hand and his finger. He kissed Remy’s thumb lightly then smiled to the other man, “No, it’s fine. You’re right. I guess you feel it too. Family is all around us and… well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. They aren’t here.” If they were lucky, they would never be here. Plus even if there was no here, Zayne still wouldn’t be there.
Zayne moved slightly closer to Remy, wanting to curl up with him now. He laughed softly, “Maybe I should have taken rebelling lessons from you.” Not that he didn’t try in his own way; he did miss his brother’s concert once to go out and drink. Jefferson had been pissed. The act didn’t have the desired effect but it had been a fun night. He smiled softly again, “I didn’t want you thinking that I wanted to cause you harm. That’s the last thing I want to do.”
---
“No. They aren’t here. I’m thankful for that. And at least you know some of them are safe.” Remy didn’t have that. Well he assumed his dad was because they would have announced a new CEO. And he likely would have heard. But he had no idea about his mother or his siblings. He liked to think they were safe and unaffected.
When Zayne moved closer Remy wrapped arms around him and pulled him in close. Just holding on. “I definitely don’t think that now.” He smiled and kissed the top of Zayne’s head. “I do have one other power I haven’t shown you yet.” He smiled to himself then held a hand out in the air. After a moment of concentration a fairly large, silver foil wrapped, Hershey’s Kiss appeared in his hand. He handed it over to Zayne. “I think I’ve finally nailed Hershey’s.”
—-
Zayne leaned against Remy, cuddling against him. He glanced up at Remy and said softly, “That must be hard, to not know. I’m sorry.” He wished he had better words. He wished he could do more. He knew that was the hardest part for a lot of people; to not know, to not be able to know. It wasn’t right.
Zayne did not expect Remy to have another power. He glanced to Remy when he spoke and watched as the Hershey’s Kiss appeared. Zayne’s jaw dropped this time. “You can create things?” It was that or he could pull them from other places. But he said nailed, which probably didn’t mean that, “That is amazing.” He turned the Kiss over in his hand. Remy got all the cool powers.
---
“It is hard but it’s been that way for a long time now. I figure there’s no point in thinking the worst. I just hope that they’re not hurting, wondering what happened to me.” Since he was a pompous ass before the incident it was likely they figured he hadn’t changed and ran off somewhere. That was the most logical and he couldn't blame them.
“I can.” Remy smiled. “It has to be fairly simple things or I need to do a lot of research. But it’s kind of fun and it can come in handy.” He grinned as Zayne looked over the chocolate. “Taste it. Let me know how I did.”
---
Zayne was silent for a moment. He knew his parents wondered where he was. He hoped it was because they cared. He didn’t want to think about it. Though not thinking about it didn’t make it hurt less. It just sat in the background. Zayne wasn’t sure what to say.
Zayne unwrapped the Hershey and tasted it. That was good chocolate. That was very good chocolate and he smiled to Remy, “This tastes fantastic. Is it hard? To create something? How did you figure out you could do it?”
---
Remy was more than happy to drop the subject of family. It was tough, for both of them and they weren’t exactly going to be able to solve it. So he let it drop.
When Zayne tasted the chocolate and said it tasted good he smiled. “I’m glad you like it. And it depends on how complicated the thing I want to create is. Something with a very simple molecular makeup is very easy to make. Especially elements. Diamonds are pretty easy. More complicated things I have to learn the makeup in order to create them.” When Zayne asked how he figured it out Remy chuckled. “It was an accident. I was helping out in the hospital right after the radiation. This woman had lost her engagement ring and was panicking about it. She kept describing the diamond that was in it. My mind was kind of wandering, thinking about that diamond and one just appeared in my hand. Much like she described it.”
---
Zayne may have finished off the chocolate. Chocolate was a weak spot. Sweets were a weak spot for Zayne in general. Non-healthy food was a weak spot. He let it go. It was delicious and this power? Was a lot easier to wrap his mind around than Remy’s other power.
“You made her diamond? That is really sweet,” Zayne said, smiling at Remy. He looked Remy over for a second before curling up against him, “So you can make diamonds and you aren’t totally blinged out? Either you have all the class or you have a secret stash someone.” He laughed lightly. He was only half teasing.
---
Remy chuckled softly when he saw Zayne finish the chocolate. Obviously he had done okay and Zayne liked chocolate. He’d definitely remember that because that was one of the few things he knew he could make without too many issues.
“I didn’t do it on purpose. So it was very much a shock when it showed up in my hand. And it kind of freaked her out. But once I got over the initial shock it was kind of cool.” Remy wrapped arms tighter around him when Zayne curled into him. “I don’t use that power very often, honestly. Usually when I’m thinking about someone or something specific. And it has to be simple enough. So it’s a lot of work honestly. Not nearly as cool as it sounds.” He smiled.
---
Zayne felt very comfortable here with Remy. He smiled softly, “It still sounds cool in my book but I may be just a little jealous.” He wasn’t very jealous. In some ways it seemed easier for him not to know but it also seemed like the more people he met on the island, the more cool abilities he saw. Or maybe not. His friend had a cool ability and he wanted to be with those more like him. He did not think Remy was like that. Especially since Remy did not seem very forthcoming with his abilities. He did look up at Remy and said, “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
---
Remy felt very comfortable as well. Zayne opening up to him about his past had meant a lot to Remy. It meant that he could relax and just enjoy his company and that was wonderful. Also, as they relaxed he didn’t have to fight so hard to try to keep Zayne’s thoughts out of his head. He could just be comfortable. He chuckled a little at Zayne’s comment about it sounding cool. “Well thank you for that. I’m not complaining about it. It’s pretty exciting when I can get stuff to work the way it's supposed to. It's just no as easy as it sounds.” When Zayne looked up at him Remy smiled down at him. “The same to you.” Leaning down he kissed him slowly.