Orion couldn't put into words how crushed he felt by Zachary's simple sentence. He understood, but at the same time he couldn't even consider letting his boy go back to that disgusting alley. He wanted to ask why, and for how long Zach would be gone if he did let him go, but he just couldn't get a darn word out! Zachary seemed to sense his frustration, but when neither of them said anything for the next several minutes Zach awkwardly slid to the passenger's seat and buckled his seatbelt before turning to look out the window.

No. No no no!

Even though he was screaming in his mind, Orion put on a fake smile and got them back on the road. The drive felt like only a few seconds, when it had to have been at least fifteen minutes. Zachary didn't wait for him to open his door when he parked and instead headed for the alley by the club. He fished his spare key from his pocket and opened the door before Orion was even able to force himself to get his seatbelt off.

Where are you going, sweetheart? Please come back...

Groaning quietly to his empty car, Orion leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the steering wheel he was already gripping tightly on either side. He understood what Zachary wanted, and knew that the abrupt shift in lifestyle would likely have a negative effect at some point... but he wasn't ready.

A gentle knock on his car window made him glance over at Xena. Her expression was worried, and when he leaned back and rolled the window down, she quickly reached in and hugged him like one would an upset child.

"It's okay, hun. He just needs more time to adjust."

Orion frowned but nodded, allowing Xena to turn off his car and remove the keys, then undo his seat belt for him before she opened his door. "Come on, Orion. You've been sitting here for nearly an hour."

What?

He was going to argue that he couldn't have been sitting in his car for so long, but when he looked at the dashboard clock, it told him that she was right. Grumbling under his breath, Orion forced himself out of his car and locked it, then followed after Xena to the front of the club. He didn't want to go with her, he wanted to go pull Zachary into a hug he couldn't escape until he promised not to leave later, but he knew that would only cause more problems.

"Can you help Jim clean up the main area and tables before we open please?"

It wasn't really a question, but he nodded anyways and quickly got busy. By the time people were beginning to trickle in he was panting, already tired. They had finished awhile ago but he had gone above and beyond and also cleaned the bathrooms and each of the rooms upstairs. Hearing them, he quickly ducked back downstairs and into his room to take a quick shower. The warm water released a small portion of the stress he was feeling, but when the door to the bathroom opened and Zachary stepped in, barely visible through the steamed-up glass of the shower, Orion felt his heartbeat stumble in his chest.

Zachary!

Forcing himself to pretend that he wasn't affected, Orion scrubbed at his hair, only realizing that he didn't even have soap in it yet.

"Sorry, I-I'll just wait till you're done..."

Before he could say anything Zachary backtracked into his bedroom.

Darn it.

He quickly got his hair cleaned, then moved to his body before stepping out into the chilly bathroom. Zachary had left the door wide open, letting in the cool air-conditioning. It added goosebumps to his flesh as he walked into his bedroom after wrapping a towel around his waist. His feet stopped in front of his bed, and more importantly, in front of a curled-up, sleeping Zachary.

You're right where you should be, sweetheart.

Reaching down, Orion allowed his fingers to gently whisper across Zachary's cheek, just barely touching the skin enough to feel. He felt his boy lean in just like a cat, silently asking for more attention.

You're so well trained already, even after doing so little. I'd be insane to let you go without a fight... but I'd also be stupid to force you to stay when you're only asking for a chance to understand.

It hurt, but he retracted his hand and went into the closet to get dressed for work. As soon as he stepped inside he heard his bed shift as Zachary got up and scurried into the bathroom to shower. He'd been awake... Forcing himself not to walk back into the bathroom, Orion quickly got changed into his normal leather attire, then, just needing to do something for Zach, he picked out a full outfit of clothing and set it out on the bed.

He obviously wouldn't force Zachary to wear it if he didn't want too, but it kept him from doing something stupid. God, I can't believe how much he's affecting me after barely a week. It was illogical, but hell, he didn't care. Zachary was the cutest, most well-behaved submissive he'd ever met, and the guy didn't even know it yet. When Orion heard the shower turn off he grabbed his boots and darted for the door, worried that Zachary might misunderstand the clothing lying on the bed.

Without even thinking about any implications, Zachary dried off in Orion's bedroom, then pulled on the clothes that had been set out. Once he gave his teeth an extra brushing and checked his reflection in the mirror, he deemed himself ready for work and headed for the kitchen. Even though David was supposed to be on bedrest, Xena evidently wasn't able to keep him there because when Zach stepped through the double doors, he noticed the guy over by the prep station laying into some squash.

"I've got dishes then, I assume?" Zachary said as he headed for the sink and got his gloves on. David just grunted in response, making him grin as he began washing the few plates already waiting for him from appetizers. As he worked he let his mind wander. Earlier had been stressful, but it also got Orion to back off a little, which was sadly needed. He really did like the guy, and had no intention of pushing him away. I just need some time to think.

About halfway through his shift one of the servers ducked into the kitchen, literally begging for help on the floor. Evidently Xena's luck just kept getting worse because one of her bussers left only a few minutes after their shift began because of a bad cold.

"Hey kid, you ever bussed?" She asked Zach as she flipped several fish on a grill.

"Yeah. I'm on it," he said as he tossed his gloves, washed his hands, and quickly followed the young woman out. The dining room was a heck of a lot busier than the kitchen! Zachary ran around like a crazy man getting tables cleared and cleaned throughout the night. He lost track of time but that suited him just fine. He was making the server's jobs much easier, and that made the hard work that much more rewarding. Well, until he noticed two people sitting at a table in the far corner. The woman wasn't one he knew, but the man...

Cheating bastard!

He hadn't realized he'd been glaring until the woman motioned for the man to turn around. That's when their eyes met, and Zachary's anger hit an all-time high. His father smiled and winked, then turned back to his flavor of the week.

No doubt you're here while mom is at her yoga class.

Hatred welled in his chest, something he rarely felt. His hands tightened on the bin and cloth he held, just begging him to dump the waste he currently carried over the scum's head. The only thing that prevented him from doing it was a strong hand clutching his elbow, pulling him backward until he was in the hallway leading to Orion's room. It was off-limits for guests and most employees, so he wasn't surprised when he was suddenly tugged down into a familiar lap and hugged tight.

There were no words, but he didn't need them. When Orion's hand began to sift through his hair Zachary immediately leaned into the slight pressure. He felt like a cat. No matter where Orion touched him, he couldn't stop himself from pushing against him. When he felt lips warm his cheek he tilted his head and let their lips met. All of his stress poured into the kiss, turning it heated and aggressive. Orion seemed surprised by it, but he didn't hesitate to meet Zachary's fervent attention with his own. When he leaned away slightly to get a breath he got up on his knees, straddling Orion's lap with the intent to move back in and start doing much more rated R things.

"Sweetheart."

He could hear the groan in Orion's voice. The yearning for him to move his hips faster. To kiss more. Touch more. Zach tried to go further, just wanting to lose himself and forgot that he'd just seen his dad cheating on his mom again, but Orion's firm hands ended up grasping his hips, forcing them to stop.

"Zachary, please. I wish I could say that I understand, but I've only known you for a short time. I want to help though, but not in this way. Sweetheart, as much as I'd love to have sex with you, right now is just not the time."

Zach heaved a frustrated sigh and tugged at the strong leather wrapped around Orion's chest half-heartedly. "Why does he have to keep cheating on her?"

His words were whispered, but Orion still seemed to hear them.

"I don't know, sweetheart." He whispered as he gently pressed his fingers beneath Zach's chin and lifted it so that their eyes could meet. "But I know that he doesn't deserve to have you as a son, or your mother as a wife."

Zachary wasn't very surprised that he had guessed that the man was his father. They did look fairly similar, right down to their hair and eye color. Thankfully, that's where the similarities ended.

"Zachary?"

Blinking out of his thoughts of his horrible father, Zach looked back up.

"Your shift ended over an hour ago..."

Oh.

After a moment of tense silence they both got to their feet and headed to Orion's room. Zachary operated mechanically when he stepped inside, brushing his teeth and flossing before trudging toward the door that lead into the storeroom, and ultimately, outside. He was extremely grateful that Orion didn't stop him, even though he could feel the man's eyes on him until he disappeared out into the chilly night. Taking a deep breath, Zachary relished in the cold as he made the two block walk to his alley. It felt like forever since he'd been there, but as he stepped into the dark area it didn't quite feel like home anymore.

Of course not. You don't have a home.

Shaking that thought from his head, Zach straightened and walked to the end before turning around and sliding down against the worn bricks until he could feel the cold snow soak through his jeans. It was familiar, but that was all it was.

This is your chance to think away from him though. You need to focus.

And he tried, really, really hard. He thought about his job first, glad that he finally had a paycheck coming. He then thought about Orion, and more importantly, his lifestyle. The leather didn't really bother him because Orion had already proved that he was trustworthy. The man himself was almost too perfect, though he had managed to catch him by surprise a few times.

Yeah, when you burnt his butt.

Grinning to himself, Zach shivered and hunched, wrapping his arms around his knees.

He's so sweet though.

Remembering the moment when he'd said that he loved him earlier made all of the cold vanish for a brief few seconds. He wasn't used to hearing those words. It had been a very long time since his parents had said them, and he never really had anyone to call a significant other. Leaning back, he let the gusty winter chill meet his face. Snow began to drift downward but he ignored it as a grin appeared on his lips.

He loves me.

His eyes widened, shocked at the realization he had just brushed off earlier.

He loves me.

Stumbling to his numbing feet, Zachary clenched his fists and shook his head. He'd had nothing, and then all of a sudden he got a man that cared enough about him to love him. And not just say the word, either. Orion had proved it by feeding him, buying him clothing, and giving him a place to sleep.

And he'd asked for nothing in return if I wasn't comfortable.

Swallowing past a lump in his throat, Zach walked through the deepening snow until he got out of his alley and turned toward the club.

"Orion...?"

He was standing right there on the sidewalk, holding up the coat that he'd bought Zach as if he were just offering it to him to try on and see if it fit again.

"Oh uh, hey Zachary. You forgot your coat..."

He held the jacket a little higher while looking away for a second, then refocusing back on him.

You're the real sweetheart, Orion.

With a tired smile Zachary stepped forward, sliding his arms through the jacket's sleeves backwards so that he could hug the guy faster. When his arms came around him and Zachary inhaled to take in the scent of mint, he felt like he was home.

They remained that way for several quiet minutes before Orion pressed a kiss to Zach's soft hair and whispered against it. "Can I get a retry for a possible date number two?"

Instead of answering verbally, Zach just gave a tired chuckle and got up on his toes to press a kiss to Orion's cold lips.