Chapter Text
The next few weeks passed without any further incidents, they got used to living together rather quickly. Zee found Nunew to be an amazing roommate, Nunew had immediately taken to cleaning, cooking, and any other chore he even remotely noticed needed doing. It went so far, that Zee had to sit him down to have a talk about letting him do his part in the housework as well, that Nunew was not solely responsible here. They lived in the apartment together after all, Nunew was not his maid.
“What? But I…,” Nunew had been completely taken aback at that statement, wide eyed shaking his head. “It´s your condo, you pay the rent…you let me live with you, it´s only right I take on my part as well.” Nunew had hastily explained, seeing nothing wrong with him having to take care of everything while Zee sat back and watched.
Zee had to swallow back the burning anger rising in his throat, if he ever saw that bitch of a woman again, he would punch her straight in the face. Public image be damned. He gently scooted closer on the couch, seeking more contact. “I own this condo. I don´t have to pay rent for it and even if I did, I want you to live with me. I asked you to live with me, you don´t have to work to earn your keep.” He barely bit back the words, I am not your mother, which were burning at the tip of his tongue like ash.
Instead he carefully tucked his little love even closer. Nunew was staring at him perplexed, the confused frown making him even more adorable, Zee had to acknowledge, even as his heart hurt something fierce. “I want us to be an equal in this partnership. I will do half of the chores and you will do half. You don´t have to fear being kicked out, if you aren’t helpful enough…” Nunew’s breath hitched, tears welling up in his eyes. Zee had hit the nail on the head. Deep inside Nunew had constantly feared Zee changing his mind, had tried to do everything to not have that happen. He shuddered.
Zee could only nuzzle their foreheads together, letting his eyes expose all the adoration, love, and the overwhelming devotion he held for the smaller man, in hope Nunew would feel more secure. It took a huge amount of much courage for Zee to be this open and honest, having been burned in the past, but for Nunew…yes for Nunew he could and would do anything. He would risk his poor scarred heart, if only Nunew felt more at ease. Because as he had long found, scared Nunew was one of Zee´s least favorite Nunew, right behind angry Nunew and sick Nunew. Not Here Nunew was the worst, so Zee was doing everything in his power to make sure Not Here Nunew never ever showed up.
It was a few hours later that their small bubble was to be broken, as until that moment Nunew and Zee had successfully hidden Nunew´s move from everyone. Nunew not wanting to have to face the inquisition, not wanting raw open wounds to be poked at even by well-meaning friends and colleges, had with a small insecure voice asked Zee to keep quiet for now. Zee had agreed without much fuss, also wanting more than anything space for the both of them to get used to the new change first before anyone else could barge in. And as they both knew their noisy friends; the barrage of invasive questions was inevitable as soon as the news came to light. Adding to that Nunew was still not sure how honest he wanted to be about the reason for his sudden moving in with his lover.
But all that would soon be out of their hands, as Nunew in midst of cooking their dinner opened the front door of Zee´s condo. Enter a gaping Net, totally taken aback by Nunew´s presence in his friend’s home. “Nunew? I thought Zee wanted to drive you home?” Net eyed him with a raised eyebrow, standing there, hair disheveled, a speck of sauce on his cheek, an apron tied around his waist.
Net was sure Zee would have let it slip, should Nunew have planned to stay over. As Zee was always much happier on those days, almost giddy, you could clearly see the twinkle in his eyes at him looking forward to a night uninterrupted with his lover. “Net? Ah, yes…well…,” Nunew blushed, avoiding further eyes contact, by stepping back to let Net inside. “Come in, Zee is in the living room.” With that he made a hasty retreat, citing his sauce to flee. “Hia, Net is here to see you,” he called, exchanging a wide-eyed look with his lover, who had already been in the process of standing up at hearing the exchange.
Seeing Nunew’s panicked eyes, Zee surged forward, stopping his love from hiding in the kitchen, grasping his arms, before he, as somehow became their norm, whenever they wanted to either express their love, or calm the other down, rubbed their foreheads together, staying connected that way for a slow second. It was enough to let Nunew take a deep breath, his racing heart slowing, there was nothing to freak out about, it was only Net.
They didn´t have to exchange words, the prolonged eye contact their only dialogue. Zee silently asking, what Nunew wanted to do, how he wanted to handle this. Zee would lie for him, Nunew knew, he would lie to their friend if Nunew was not yet ready, he would feel guilty doing it, but for his Nunew he would without batting an eyelash. That thought let a small smile appear in his face, his heart opening even further for that impossible man. With that thought he resigned himself, nodding he broke away, but not before cheekily nuzzling his nose against his hia´s.
Net, who had shrugged off his shoes, walked right into that adorable moment, watching with an indulgent grin as his friends acted sickly sweet. Finally having enough, Net cleared his throat loudly, it was either that or pulling out his phone and taking a few pictures to post for the starving ZonZons.
“Enough you lovebirds.” Nunew couldn´t completely suppress the blush rising in his cheeks, but he could hide it, turning around and playfully sticking his tongue out at the uninvited guest. Before he gave Zee one last signal, by squeezing his hands, give me a moment, waiting until Zee had nodded in understanding be turned to check up on the sauce. Relieved to have gotten a few minutes to clear his head, Nunew gave the pot on the stove only a short consideration, before he forced himself to take deep calming breath, reminding himself Zee was always by his side.
Meanwhile, Zee was eying Net. He really liked his friend, he did, but damn did he have bad timing. He had been looking forward to a quite evening with his Nunew, had wanted to unwind by cuddling and maybe later…
Tempting flashes of bare supple skin appearing in this mind’s eye, making his whole body immediately surge, his hands starting to itch. He barely stopped himself from licking his lips and completely giving away how deep into the gutter his thoughts has suddenly fallen. Zee was really gone for the boy in the kitchen, not in the least the one in control of his heart and body.
Concentrating on the present, he asked.
“Did something happen?”
“No, just suddenly decided to pay my friend a visit, but somehow I get the feeling I am not so welcome right now,” Net grinned, gesturing towards the kitchen. “How come Nunew is staying over?”
Playing dumb for the moment, Zee countered: “He´s been staying over quite a bit in the last months.”
“Yes, he has. But it doesn’t happen nearly as much as you would like it, admit it. And normally you are a dead giveaway each time it happens.” He grinned, wickedly. Always a pleasure to tease Zee.
Zee frowned, puzzled. “Oh come on, really? Zee, you are grinning like a loon each time Nunew has the time to stay over at yours.” “I do not.” He tried to retort sternly, but really, it was entirely possible, as he had acknowledged earlier he barely had any control over his body when it came to Nunew, and that was on a good day. His small love had him wrapped around his little finger. He slumped, even as a smitten smile stole itself on his face. Net could only shake his head, exasperated.
Just as Zee was wondering how to derail further teasing, while not coming back to the main topic at hand, Nunew appeared in the doorway, this time free of sauce and without an apron, but carrying a tray with three glasses filled with water. “Nu,” as soon as his hands were free, Zee pulled him onto the couch and against his side.
Before the lovers could once again sink into each other and forget their surroundings, Net broke the silence again. “I was just asking Zee; how come you are staying over tonight? Now that I think about it, you didn´t answer me earlier either.” Now Net was really intrigued, having smelled something juicy. Nunew bit his lip, gaze flitting to Zee once more, before he grinned cheekily, trying to bury all his anxiety behind nonchalance, and straight out declared: “I moved in with hia, so of course I am staying over.”
Net not having expected that at all, nearly choked on his spit, gaping. Now it was Zee´s turn to smirk, oh how he loved his Nu, leaning forward he nuzzled the top of his fluffy hair, placing a small kiss, all the while observing Net, his expressions comedy gold. “Wha… When did that happen? How did I miss this?!” He finally managed to stutter.
“Two weeks ago.”
“But… You barely got together a few weeks ago,” he protested, leaning forward, and gesturing so wildly he almost toppled off the couch cushion, acting like a delulu ZonZon. Zee had never seen Net this baffled, who would have thought, something like this would unbalance him that much. Meanwhile, Nunew also having found enjoyment in startling Net, started to become a bit irritated. It wasn´t that surprising surely,
Net had been “shipping” them together from the beginning, proclaimed captain of the ship and now he was acting like them taking the next step was ludicrous… They had moved in together, it wasn´t like Nunew had proclaimed to suddenly be pregnant. No unicorn had walked past, just a couple living together.
“Net, we´ve been together for more than four months already,” Zee reigned him in. Even as he, somehow having sensed Nunew´s turbulent emotions, gently grasped his small hand to place a reassuring kiss on it. His prince charming antics, pulling a smile from Nunew, and distracting him.
Finally Net seemed to calm down again, quizzing rather forcibly.
“How come so soon? You didn´t tell anyone?” Here comes the interrogation.
“We didn´t tell anyone.” Zee´s answer was short, borderline freezing. Zee did not tolerate it, not from friends and even less from reporters, if they thought themselves entitled to his private thoughts, feelings, and actions. No answers would come from him if they demanded them. Interrogating him never went well, Nunew should have seen that coming. Why had he been worried in the first place, worried to have to explained when he wasn’t ready? Zee would protect him always, be it from unknowns, family, or friends.
Not waiting before Net could counter, Nunew jumped in. “We wanted to know how living together was like first, without any outside meddling.” Nunew made sure to show his most innocent expression, smiling in apology. In the end Net huffed.
“I could have helped with the boxes.” Was the last he said on the topic, accepting.
“But why so soon?” He eyed Nunew meaningfully, before winking at Zee. “Did you get permission from Nunew´s mom? You naughty, wanting him all for yourself.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Nunew felt like someone had suddenly plunged him into ice water, his heart freezing inside his chest, Nunew barely managed to suppress his instinctive reaction to recoil back into Zee. The words felt like a stab at the barely scrapped over wound. Zee bit back a vicious growl, as if he would ever ask anything of that bitch. Permission?! Hah! As if, that woman was lucky he had some sort of self-control in the wake of Nunew getting hurt, not daring to do more in fear of ending up in jail and thus being separated from his Nunew.
Net was unfortunately sitting in front of two amazing actors, but even then he noticed the humor being sucked right out of the room, he had stepped on a landmine, even as both managed to reign in their more violent reactions, it was obvious. The next few seconds were tense, Net scrambling, not knowing what he had done wrong, and the lovers not daring to open their mouth in fear of what they would expose. Nunew was sure he would either scream or sob, and he was so sick of crying. While Zee was certain the furious rumble his voice would take on was a dead giveaway something was amiss, or more like a dead giveaway he wanted to rip someone apart, but who was counting.
“Ha ha… Zee of course I can´t nag you for wanting Nunew as close as possible, who wouldn´t…” Net´s voice was slightly higher than normal, begging for either to take the peace offering. Net almost slumped in relief when Zee did.
“Then it is very good I am not a possessive person.” That incredulous/ridiculous statement ripped even Nunew out of his shock, scanning his partner disbelieving, before slowly making eye contact with Net. Both not knowing how to even begin refuting that sentence. Net just then having very vivid flashbacks of all the times Zee had gone between, be it man or woman, who had for his taste looked even for a second too long at his Nunew… Yes, of course…not possessive in the slightest.
“What?”
“Zee, my dear friend…,” Net started, delicately, while working hard not to crack up, “…you…” He failed to find the right words, in the end giving up with a shrug. “Well…if it helps you sleep at night. Sure, you are so not a possessive person. Never, would you feel even slightly possessive over your Nunew.”
Nunew snickered, Zee´s baffled look. Sweetly consoling his boyfriend, rubbing his arm. “I love you just the way you are.” With that Zee forgot all about Net and was completely captivated by the beauty next to him, grinning dopily. Net thanked the gods for having survived, internally hoping to avoid another such landmine in the future. He was not sure he would survive it, even though Zee had an amazing poker face, his eyes had been flashing with the fires of hell. So, for his continued safety and sanity, Net avoided further questions about the move for the rest of the night, staying for a few more hours to have dinner with the pair, before leaving.
Alone again Zee cradled Nunew in his arms, gently swaying on the spot in the entry way. They were silent for a long moment, just soaking up the presence of the other. Then Nunew started to giggle, gasping out: “That went well.”
Zee had no choice but to join in, laughing along. “Well, it could have gone much worse.” Calming himself down some, Nunew agreed.
“True. We barely had to explain anything, before you scared the wits out of Net, and he was afraid to ask further.” Now Zee was the one playing innocent, placing a kiss on the tip of Nunew´s nose.
“Me scaring Net? Why do you think so?” Nunew’s eyebrow rose, tapping Zee on the nose in return. He could not suppress the slight twitch in the corner of his mouth, thinking the whole interaction hilarious now that he looked back on it. “Well, my face sure didn´t read murder earlier, I know that much. My not even slightly possessive protector!” Giggling once more, Nunew rose up to his tiptoes, planting a kiss on Zee, before wiggling out of his arms. Zee was very reluctant to let him go, but when Nunew stopped at the doorway, throwing a cheeky wink over his shoulders while wiggling his butt, Zee was more than ready to relocate and race him to the bedroom.
The next few hours Zee more than enjoyed the alone time with his lover, perks of moving in together. Both completely ignored their phones blowing up with messages from their friends, Net the gossip already working his magic, by morning everyone would know. Not that either of the lovebirds cared at the moment, preoccupied with much more important things, at least if you asked Zee. Though in this case Nunew would wholeheartedly agree.