"Why won't, don't you want to be my boyfriend?"
"I don't like labels. We're fine like this." Zion says avoiding Mike's gaze.
Mike moves Zion's chin, so that he can look at him. "Why?" Mike asks again.
Zion makes eye contact. Can I tell him? What if he think's I'm weak? What if he doesn't ever want to see me again?
"What makes you not want to be my boyfriend?"
"I--" Zion tries to shake his head.
"You can trust me." Mike says softly.
"I know."
Mike nods for him to continue.
"It's just I'm transgender."
"I know. Is that why?" Mike asks in a neutral voice.
"Yes, no." Zion whispers. "I don't want us changing."
He still doesn't trust me. Mike's heart breaks a little at the knowledge. "I still like you for who you are not because of your physical looks. Becoming boyfriends wouldn't change our relationship." Mike reiterates.
Zion's heart starts beating rapidly. I know. "It would make it more real."
Mike nods. "I mean your physical looks are part of why I like you, but they are not the whole reason why I like you. I enjoy spending time with you. You have a great personality and when you let your guard down, your happiness is contagious that it never fails to make me feel happy no matter what kind of day I had." Mike says never taking his eyes from Zion's. "I don't care that you may be female in some ways--not trying to say that it's not important, but that doesn't make your whole you. Believe me when I say that your personality is a lot more than your physical looks. I like all of you."
Zion bites his lower lip and squeezes his eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling. Not even Hunter said that to me or how Mike said it. He opens his eyes.
Mike caresses Zion's cheek trying to comfort him. Zion's closes his eyes. I wonder what else happened to him. Mike thinks. He was so afraid. He still is. I'll keep proving it to him that I like him for who he is. "I'm going to kiss you." Mike says; his lips above Zion's.
Zion responds by running his tongue over his lips. Mike closes the distance between them. He tries to tell him everything through the kiss. He feels Zion's tears. He breaks the kiss to wipe them away with his thumb. "You are a caring person." He continues to whisper positive things until Zion is no longer crying. Zion leans on him. They stay like that for a while until Zion breaks the silence.
"You know when we met it had been a month, over a month that my relationship had ended with my ex-boyfriend." Zion feels Mike nods.
"We had dated for about a year and we had been living together for awhile. I had planned a trip for our anniversary." Zion laughs wryly. "It was a stupid idea. When I got home that night, I heard voices. I heard him, Hunter. What an appropriate name. I heard him say, "Why don't you go get ready for bed?" I wondered why he would be telling that to someone. I didn't know anyone was sleeping overnight. Then, I heard Mario's voice. He worked with Hunter. I walked in and I saw them basically on each other. Hunter broke it off and told me to get out."
Mike's arm tightens around Zion.
"He didn't give much of an explanation. I couldn't believe it ended or it had ended without me realizing and Mario was more than a coworker to him. He told me...that he needed a real man not someone like me."
Mike feels anger bubble inside of him. He has always hated any type of abuse. That was abuse. Did that only happened that night or did it happened more often? "I'm--"
"Please don't say you're sorry because you have nothing to be sorry about. You didn't do anything. We didn't even know each other then."
"I'm sorry that I couldn't defend you then. That was a cruel and unnecessary comment for him to say. I hope I never run into him."
"He is not worth it."
"He doesn't know of the worthy person he let go because you are worth so much." Mike hugs him to his chest and kisses his cheek. "You are an incredible person."
"I'm sorry, I can't reply yes. I'm scared." Zion whispers.
"I'll wait until you're ready."
Thank you. "I don't want you to wait."
Mike replies with a kiss. Zion's cheeks are flushed. "I like you." Mike says kissing Zion's nose making him blush.
"I have an idea." Mike says as Zion hides his face in his shoulder.
"What?" Zion asks.
"Let me go get the items."
Zion nods before he moves to lean against the sofa. He hears him head to the restroom and hears the water running and cabinets being opened. He sees him go into the kitchen. I wonder what he is doing. Maybe I can go see.
"Don't you dare leave the living room. It's a surprise." Mike yells.
How did he know?
After a few minutes, Mike enters the living room with candles in his hands. He places them around before he starts lighting them.
"What are you doing?" Zion asks.
"You'll see. Wait a few more minutes. I need to bring them."
Why two buckets? What's in that container? And towels. Zion wonders.
Mike smiles. "We are having a Spa evening. It'll let us relax and destress."
"Wow." He has spa days? "Why?"
"To relax."
Zion shakes his head.
"Because you should be taken care of."
Trying to disguise some of the emotion, Zion says, "I have no choice."
"Yes, you don't." Mike kisses Zion. "First, let's see. We're going to start with the face mask. Then, I have the feet treatment. It makes them really soft. Then, I'm giving you a full body massage."
"Who is giving you a massage?"
"You'll give me one some other day." Mike winks. "Or maybe I'll ask for payment. I left the bathrobes in the restroom, so go change into one and then, I'll change into mine."
"You really go all out."
"Of course or it wouldn't be a spa."
"Thanks." Zion states.
"You're welcome. Now, go." Mike says pushing Zion towards the restroom.
Mike takes the time to turn off the lights in the living room to only leave the candles and find the music he always uses to relax. Now that everything is in place, he sits on the couch to wait for Zion. Realizing that Zion chose to shower, he has time to think. The previous anger he had pushed aside comes back when he thinks about what Hunter did to Zion.
He was cruel and it's understandable that Zion would be reluctant to be in a relationship and if he said that to him then, maybe it wasn't the first time he said a hurtful statement to him. Mike lets out a sigh. How much more did he endure? He shouldn't have had to. Zion is the kindest and sweetest person I've ever met.
"Ready." Zion says snapping him out of this thoughts.
"Right, let me go change." Mike says. Is he naked? Mike don't think. He tells himself choosing to take a cold shower.
"Okay, ready, so mask first." Mike says taking a seat on the couch.
"You're not worried this might fall on the couch?" Zion asks as he takes the mask.
"No." Mike replies starting to rub the face mask on.
Zion smiles. "We're going to be green."
"Yes. You'll still look beautiful."
"Sure." Zion replies trying to hide his smile. "How often do you do this?"
"Once a month." Mike replies.
"You do it by yourself?"
"Yes, there were a couple of times Dante joined me."
"Really?"
"Yes. It was something I did with my grandma."
Zion smiles.
"She would even get grandpa to join us."
"That's cute."
Mike nods. "You should have seen us. All of us in our bathrobes, sitting in the living room with the face mask and our feet in the buckets."
Zion smiles. "You kept the tradition."
"I guess, it is a tradition now. My parents would join us sometimes. It was something special we all did to indulge grandma."
"What we're doing now."
Mike nods.
"For the body massage, I have to take you to my bed."
Zion quirks an eyebrow.
"I meant use the bed." Mike rushes to say. "Ugh, I meant you need to be lying down and the bed is better than the sofa." Mike looks at Zion who is biting his lower lip. "I don't want you thinking that I have ulterior motives." Mike rushes to say.
Zion burst out laughing at seeing him all flustered.
Even though he is embarrassed, Mike can't help, but smile fondly at Zion.
Calming down, Zion says, "Okay, to the bed we go. We are sure not doing anything or I'm sending Zane after you." He teases.
Mike tenses before he gives him a smile, "We're not doing anything aside from the massage and stop laughing at me." He demands with no malice in his voice.
"Okay." Zion says. "But you know, you're adorable when you get flustered." Zion says before his face is reddening. I can't believe I said that!
"I don't look adorable." Mike mumbles.
"Whatever you say."
"Hmm, if you're comfortable you can take the robe off and use it to cover yourself or I can bring towels to cover you up."
Zion's earlier panic returns. Why did I agree to a body massage? What should I do? "Towel." He replies thankful that his voice doesn't betray him. He takes a seat in the middle of the queen size bed and begins to untie the bathrobe.
Mike brings a towel and then leaves the bedroom to give him some privacy as he goes to get the massage oil.
Zion takes the robe off and places it underneath him before he takes the towel and wraps it around his waist and lies down.
"Can I come in?" Mike asks.
"Yes."
Mike stares at Zion lying down on the bed with nothing more than the towel around his waist. "I hope you like lavender because that's the oil I have."
Zion replies with a smile wrapping his hand around the pillow.
Mike gets on the bed beside Zion's right side. "Okay." He says opening the oil and pouring some on Zion's back. He feels Zion shiver underneath his hands.
"It's cold." Zion states.
"Sorry, soon you won't feel the difference."
"Okay." Zion starts relaxing and slowly his eyes begin to close.
He fell asleep. Mike smiles. It was a success. I'll get him a blanket.
Where am I? Zion asks not recognizing the room as his own. He feels the comforter against his body. I fell asleep. He thinks as memories from the previous day come to mind. He turns to see a discarded blanket. Where did he sleep?
"You're awake. How did you sleep?" Mike asks entering the bedroom.
"Good." I didn't have any dreams that I remember.
"I'm glad. I made breakfast. It's ready."
"Sorry for falling asleep."
Mike smiles. "It was successful. It made you relax and that was the purpose."
"Where's my phone I forgot to let my brother know I wasn't going home?"
"Don't worry, I called Zane." Don't ask how I got his number.
"Thanks."
"Breakfast?"
"Yes." Zion replies sitting up. "Did I kick you out of your bed?"
Mike shakes his head. "No, I slept on the bed. I had my own blanket."
Zion blushes. Did I end up cuddling to him? "Did I do something?"
"Like what?" Mike asks.
"Kick you or...something embarrassing?"
Mike smiles, "You like to cuddle."
Zion blushes. "Sorry."
"I didn't mind. I'll let you change. I placed some of my clothes in the restroom."
"Thanks."
"No problem." Mike says pecking Zion's lips. "Come to the kitchen when you're done."
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