BULLY

A New Home

    Saint got out from his car and thanked his chauffeur. It was just after 8 in the evening. Zee and Angel had moved into their new condominium just below him. He missed both of them though. He missed the constant chatter of Angel and having Zee cooking for him. He of course missed stealing kisses from Zee the most. He found himself smiling remembering those kisses. Saint decided to stop at Zee's floor. He pressed a button and waited. The moment the doors opened he stepped out. He then rang the bell. Someone unlocked the door.

"Saint!" Angel squealed when she saw him.
"Hi beautiful." Saint smiled down at the excited little girl.
"You have to see my room. Uncle Joss got me a HUGEEEEE teddy bear!" Angel began dragging Saint into the condominium.
"Really?" Saint asked and she nodded enthusiastically.
"What's the teddy bear's name?"
"Lisa."
"Lisa?" Saint questioned her.
"Yes... From Blackpink! Cause the teddy bear is all black and pink." She explained.
"Alright..." Saint smiled at her.
"Where's your Dad?" He asked her.
"In his room... I think..."
"HURRY!" Angel walked up the stairs while Saint followed her.
"When did Uncle Joss come here?"
"This afternoon." She replied.
"How was school?" Saint asked her.
"I have a new teacher. I think I'm going to marry her."
"Well of course." Saint smiled while shaking his head.

Just like his condominium, there were two rooms on the first floor. Zee and Angel had a room each. As they reached the top of the stairs, the door to the bedroom on the right opened and Zee popped out. Both men froze. Zee just got out from the shower with his damp hair and he was clad in his pyjama bottoms. Saint's eyes slowly trailed down to Zee's chest and he swallowed. It was perfectly sculptured. Then, Saint saw them. A myriad of burnt scars on the right side of Zee's body. Saint suspected that there were more scars on Zee's back. He could not imagine how painful Zee must have been for him. He remembered what Joss said. Zee always wore long sleeves shirt of T-shirt to cover his scars. Even Saint had never seen Zee without his shirt on. Saint knew instantly that Zee was nervous.

"When... When... Did you arrive?" Zee asked. He looked utterly petrified.
"Like a minute ago." Saint answered.

    Zee slowly covered his body with the towel he had while staring at Saint. His eyes were filled with trepidation and he was getting paler by the second. Saint hated what he saw seeing.

"Angel honey... Could you wait for me in your room? Could you Princess?" Saint requested.
"Okay..." Angel got into her room.
"Zee." Saint took a step forward while Zee took a step back.

    Saint knew about his insecurities. He learned a lot from Joss but Zee himself had been preventing their kisses to ever get more than just kisses. He always asked Saint to stop their kisses before they could go to the next step. Saint understood Zee but the man should also trust him. That Saint liked him. That Saint did not care about his scars. Nevertheless, the man was consumed by his insecurities. He could not believe that Saint actually liked him. Inside and out.

"Zee... Baby... Can we talk?" Saint whispered and took a step closer.
"Can... Can you... You wait outside?" Zee requested and he took a few steps back.

They were already inside Zee's bedroom. Zee's throat contracted as he swallowed nervously. Saint knew that he was invading Zee's space and boundaries but he felt that he needed to tell the man that he had nothing to worry about. He tried a few times to talk to Zee but he had not made any progress with the man. The moment Saint make him nervous, the stuttering began.

"Why?" Saint questioned him.
"I... I need to put... To put some clothes on." Zee replied while averting Saint's eyes.
"You don't have to Zee. There are just Angel and I right now." Saint answered.
"P... Please Saint." Zee begged.

Saint sighed and looked at the man who had become a very important part of his life. He had never regarded Zee's imperfections as imperfections at all. He just did not see Zee that way. He liked and cared for the man. He always knew that he never needed a reason to like or care about someone.