Never Meant to (Book one of series)

|Not On You|

Zhi

Dante cooled down some the next day and agreed to come talk with Zhi. He wasn't sure what he would say but he was ready to talk.

"Is this why y'all went so long without speaking to each other?" Dante questioned.

"Yes, I was trying to understand."

"So, like, you like being the bottom?" Dante face was twisted.

"Yeah, as strange as it may seem, I do. Ace just knows what to do, I like to be vulnerable with him." Zhi shrugged.

"Guess I'm more surprised at the fact you can take it, I know bro well endowed. Ace is not lacking in size." Dante shook his head. "No homo, but I'm also not blind, when we used to take showers in the locker room. "He shrugged. "I saw it.

"It hurt like hell the first time, but I got through it, and it ended up being the best thing I ever felt." He was honest.

"It's a little too much info but who am I to judge?" Dante laughed.

"I was nervous as shit for you and anyone this way to find out. I might have said some things that really hurt Ace." Zhi admitted.

"I feel like if you love someone, what everyone around you think doesn't matter. I mean it will take me some getting used to, but I fuck with you boys either way. Y'all still just Zhi and Ace to me." Dante shrugged.

"Why can't I see it like that? It's like other people's possible reactions have me over analyzing everything."

"It's 2023 and even as far as that community has come, people are still shamed into keeping what they like in the closet, for fear of being laughed at or outcasted I guess. Especially, for someone like y'all, known for getting plenty of girls. I can see how it can be difficult." Dante downed a mini shot he had.

"I wanna make Ace happy, I feel like it's my job to."

"Why though?" Dante wasn't following him.

"Cause he said I'm the only guy, well person that he really wants, but I don't want to date him, at least not publicly. When I say stuff like that, he shuts down."

"Unless you are leading him on cuz, then that's not on you. Ace is a man, and he must figure that shit out. He'll love other people, he's just super attached to you because of y'all friendship. He gotta learn how to separate the two."

"You are more knowledgeable than I thought." Zhi laughed.

"You know I'm going to school to be therapist, why y'all sleep on me?" He sucked his teeth.

"I won't ever again, I swear to you." They tapped each other's fist.

*************************

Ace

He decided to return from break right before New Years. He and Zhi talked on the phone a little before he left, and they were at least on speaking terms, but it was different. He was glad to be back in his dorm room. He gathered his dirty clothes and headed to the laundry room. After he put his clothes in the washing machine, he went to see what they had in the cafe. There was an egg roll place that put almost anything inside you wanted. He got the Philly cheese steak ones. After getting his food he found a table and sat down. He bit into the egg roll, it was crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside.

He scrolled through Instagram and saw Zhi posted a selfie that was captioned Gym, then Party later.

Ace just doubled tapped it. He was working on them, being strictly friends. But instead of just staring he kept scrolling. Zhi wasn't his and he was learning to live with that. No matter how bad you want something, don't make it yours.