Usually, it would take Aeiou twenty to twenty five minutes to finish his bath. However, this day, Aeiou was into a suspicion that Zed would nitpick on him once he took too long to get ready.
"What took you so long? You masturbated didn't you?" He could already hear Zed's devious voice inside his head.
Before, he'd lather soap in every corner of his body for ten minutes. Wash his hair with shampoo then let it soak in conditioner for five minutes. On top of this, Aeiou practice his singing in the bathroom, and it took so much of bodily function trying to find the right placement to healthily sing a note.
But today, Aeiou paid no mind to doing those. He just washed his body with soap quickly, put shampoo on his hair then conditioner after. Aeiou poured the third dip of water above his head. Then he instinctively reached for the door knob. There was no towel right there. That knob usually served as the hanging place for his towel since the splash of water in this barely three square meter rectangular space could cause the water and bubbles to splash onto different directions. The only safe haven for his towel not to get too wet is the door knob farthest to the back. It seemed he left it outside.
Aeiou turned his head to the door and sighed. He definitely forgot to bring his towel with him, but he did not forgot to bring his thoughts about Zed.
Before, it was not a big deal for Aeiou to go out and run naked all over the apartment whenever he left his towel. But that didn't seem to be great idea since Zed might just be outside waiting for him.
In all honesty, for some reason, Zed would be the last person Aeiou wanted to show his whole body to. Maybe that boundary was insecurity since Zed has perfect physique. Aeiou hoped it was all just that.
Having no other choice, Aeiou shouted. "Pa! My towel. I forgot to bring it with me. Can you reach for it?"
That time, when Aeiou's baritone voice roared out like an early seagull, Philip was already outside preparing the tables. He was not able to hear Aeiou's calls.
But there was still a figure inside the apartment whom Philip told to wait inside instead of waiting outside. Zed. The father even turned on the old television with sounds that are similar to an old cassette.
Philip would not be able to take it once Zed, who was a very kind friend of his son, wait boringly outside. In fact, Philip was also sure that Zed would be courteous enough that the prince would suddenly help Philip fix the tables for the customers.
Hence, forcing Zed to stay inside, the one who heard Aeiou's call was not Philip, but the prince.
Watching TV, a sly smile spread along Zed's face. He stood up and tried to find where Aeiou's towel could be. Soon he found it hanging on the chair where they sat for breakfast. Zed took it and gazed at the door to see if Philip could see him. When he noticed Philip was busy flipping chairs and tables, Zed put the towel to his face and sniffed.
It had been nearly two minutes and there was still no answer nor Philip knocking on the door. Aeiou shouted again, "Pa?!" Aeiou's throat tightened up as he called and called repeatedly. "Pa! Pa! Pa!" He couldn't go outside nude, but his father couldn't hear him as well. Aeiou slowly pulled the door knob open. He only planned on taking a small peek but what he saw was... a pair of cold eyes peeking inside as well. Aeiou does not expect and does not want to see was the first thing to greet him with his wet face. It was Zed.
"Ah!" Aeiou's eyebrows furrowed abruptly. Luckily, his head was the only thing that was exposed and the rest of his entire body was behind the door.
He snapped. "What are you doing?!"
Zed tilted his head and he spoke through that small opening from the door, "I got your towel."
Aeiou gnashed his teeth. He looked down and saw Zed holding his green body towel. He let out his hand and was about to reach it when Zed pulled it away.
A devilish smirk tainted Zed's face.
"Give it to me." Aeiou's tone carried a hint of threat.
"Or else?" But the person he threatened with had a skin that could tank even the most ferocious punches. Zed spoke slyly, "Am I gonna receive a 'Thank you, Sir' once I gave it to you?"
Aeiou feigned a smile. He was not sure whether Zed was testing his patience or was forcing him to be... submissive. Either of the two, Aeiou did not approve.
"A fuck you maybe!"
"Go." Zed chuckled. He moved his face closer to the small opening of the door. Then he plastered his other arm upon the doorframe, pressing his forehead against it. Zed grinned, "Then I guess you have to run to your room. Naked."
Aeiou slipped his hand through the hole but Zed caught it in mid-air.
Zed spoke, "Your hands moves so fast, do you also apply this when you pleasure yourself?"
Aeiou snapped, his voice carried a hint of annoyance once he spoke again. "Let go of my hand!"
"No!"
Aeiou resisted, but Zed was enjoying the sight of Aeiou's face in abrupt panic. To add, the dripping water travelling from the strands of Aeiou's silky arm down to his hairy armpit. This made Zed wonder bad things. If Aeiou steps out of the bathroom right now, how beautiful would he be with water flowing down his figure?
An idea hit Zed's head. "Hey, if you don't want to say thank you, why don't you just come out now? We are both guys, what you have is what I have. Nothing to be embarrassed about."
Those words did not console Aeiou to the least, instead it fueled his anger to its highest level.
Aeiou had enough. He reached his other hand to the dipper and splashed Zed with lukewarm water.
Zed wasn't able to escape Aeiou's notion this time, as Aeiou pulled his wrist strongly holding him close. The water drenched all over Zed's uniform and soon his sando was visible under his polo. Zed was stunned.
"Hahaha..." Aeiou's laugh echoed on the room.
Zed can only stare at the water and bubbles as it enveloped his body and flowed down to his black trousers. It was a lot of water, there was no way he could dry it out before school.
While Zed was stunned, Aeiou took the chance to escape from his grasp and quickly steal the towel from Zed's other hand.
A cunning expression was evident on Aeiou's face when he spoke again, "That's what you get for messing with me. You should be thankful I did not splashed the water to your eyes."
Aeiou laughed a little bit more and was about to close the door.
A panic-stricken voice came in.
"What is happening?" Philip voice was tainted with worry. The floor under Zed's foot was wet. It was as if the rainy seasons had come and their roof had a hole where the water had poured to Zed.
Zed was still in a state of shock. He turned his body slowly to Philip to reveal his current situation. Zed pouted, "Uncle... he splashed me. I was trying to give him his towel, then he..."
Philip's expression changed into myriad of colors. He immediately ran towards the bathroom and shouted, "Aeiou! What did you do?!"
Aeiou was frozen from Philip's sudden entrance. He was still holding the dipper in his hand and was yet to close the door fully so Philip so that he really did splashed Zed.
Everything was just as clear as day to Philip. He already knew what happened. Aeiou asked Zed to give him his towel and when Zed handed the towel, Aeiou splashed Zed with water as a prank.
Philip's head hurt. "Aeiou... why are you like this to him?"
"Tay... I..."
Philip turned and tried to wipe the dripping water off Zed's clothes but it just made everything worse with a hand towel from his pocket.
Philip shifted his gaze to Aeiou. Disappointment was evident once he asked again, "Aeiou."
Seeing his father staring at him that way, Aeiou wasn't able to hold back, "H-he's being an asshole!"
Philip then gazed at Zed. He was about to ask for Zed's side but Zed immediately answered before he could even let out a word.
"Uncle, he forgot to bring his towel inside, and so he started calling for you. You were fixing the table outside. I felt bad if I would call you just to bring the towel so I brought it to him myself, but he did not thank me for doing it, so I started scolding him for not saying thank you to me. Then the next thing I knew he splashed me with... water."
Philip couldn't believe what he just heard. Zed was teaching Aeiou life lessons but Aeiou refused to listen and splashed Zed instead. He moved his hands to the bridge of his nose and tried to recollect himself. He was stressed.
While Philip was in a perplexed state of mind. Aeiou on the other hand, couldn't fathom the sight of how Zed was mansplaining to Philip while having an expression of a victim. Zed then gazed at him and winked secretly.
Aeiou thought, You asshole!
Philip sighed. He was reckless as well when he was still a teenager, and he refuses to listen to people when they were teaching him life lessons, hence why he had Aeiou before twenty. Moreover, Philip could feel that Aeiou did not like Zed that much. Philip knew how close Aeiou was to his male friends. He always see Aeiou arms-wrapped around his male friends, always laughing and smiling.
But when it comes to Zed, Aeiou was really different, it was as if he have a lot of boundaries with Zed. He didn't welcome Zed warmly, and he didn't wrap his arms around Zed's shoulders. Aeiou never smiled since Zed was around.
Philip couldn't help but think, did Zed do something bad to Aeiou? Was the friendship one-sided only?
However, during when they were eating, Aeiou kept on gazing at the cheesecake at the other side of the room where Philip put it. Their table was really small to put everything there so Philip put it on the small table across them. Philip caught Aeiou glancing at the cheesecake and every time he did, Aeiou's eyes soften. It was as if Aeiou was moved but was hiding it.
This made Philip felt bad about eating the cheesecake. So he purposely lied that he forgot to serve it so that Aeiou could stare at it all day when he comes back from school.
Philip was puzzled as to what had caused for his son to find and develop such a unique relationship with Zed. Aeiou visibly hate Zed, but he loved what Zed does. Was hate just a façade to what he actually feels for Zed?
Without blaming either of the two, Philip spoke, "Okay. You say sorry to Zed, Aeiou. And Zed... You need to get changed before school, you can use one of Aeiou's uniform."
When Zed heard that, he became tremendously interested. But he hid it with a nod. Finally, he could smell Aeiou's scent for the whole day.
"You go inside that bathroom and take a bath with Aeiou."
you go inside the bathroom and take a bath with Aeiou. — when Zed heard those words, his heart skipped a beat.
Obviously, Aeiou protested. "No! He can go after me!"
"You guys will be late if he goes after you."
"But I'm already done!"
Philip had already turned away and seemed not to hear anything.
Zed started stripping his clothes down. And even before Aeiou could protest to him, Zed was already naked with only his Dior brief on.
Aeiou gulped a load of his saliva. He closed the door but Zed quickly pushed as well. They started pushing the door against each other. Aeiou cursed, "Hey, I'm already clean! Don't you even dare —!"
Not really caring much about what Aeiou had to say, Zed pushed himself all the way in the bathroom with his brute strength.