Math was the bane of his existence! How Zachary could be smiling as he leaned over the textbook in Orion's lap and easily manipulate problem after problem, was far beyond him. In fact, while he had asked for his help and really, honestly, appreciated it, Orion had stopped listening three problems ago and instead was focusing on the gentle mint smell that wafted off of Zachary's hair and the small mole just beneath the back hairline of his neck.

I wanna lick there.

"Orion, you're not listening... and I don't think you have been for awhile."

Orion smirked and winked when Zach glared up at him.

"Guilty, sweetheart. I'm sorry, I just can't focus any longer."

Zachary rolled his eyes, then narrowed them. "We've only done ten problems. You have thirty-two due tomorrow and I won't do them all if you won't pay attention."

If Orion did actually focus and learn the problems Zachary had no issue doing them for him, even though that was considered cheating. As long as the person learned, it was unfair to force them to do everything without help. That's what homework was for, to help you learn the material.

Groaning, Orion flopped back on the pillows and sighed. "I know, I've just never been able to focus when it came to math. That's one of the reasons I never bothered with college before."

Zachary shook his head, setting the book aside after slipping the papers he'd been writing on in the bindings to mark their page. He then slipped onto Orion's lap, automatically drawing the man's full attention back to him. Orion eagerly ran his hands up Zach's clothed backside, letting them slow as they clasped around his waist.

"I think you can focus," Zachary said with a slightly scary smirk. "You just need the right incentive."

Orion blinked, frowning at the guy in his lap, yet unwilling to release his hold on him. He had hoped that he'd be let off the homework hook since he was caught again not paying attention, but Zachary didn't seem like he was going to drop it now. It's not like he couldn't afford to fail one or two assignments. The teacher said that he would drop at least one anyways.

"What kind of incentive?"

Grades and a chance to be partners with Xena in her business seemed like the best kind of incentive, and even that didn't help him learn much. It was honestly depressing. He'd had such high hopes and Zachary definitely understood, but he just wasn't getting a whole lot in his head. A few of the problems were easy once explained, but when they got more complicated he couldn't focus enough to piece them together.

"Well, we've already read several more chapters of the book."

Orion only had to think for a second to know that Zachary was talking about the S&M book and not the textbook, because he'd certainly not read more than a chapter of it.

"Yeah?" He replied, curious as to what Zachary had in mind.

"Well, u-um..."

Seeing his face burn made Orion fight back a grin. Instead, he waited patiently for Zachary to regain his ability to speak and finish what he wanted to say.

"Um, if you can get through this homework... a-and you get most of it right." He looked down, licking his lips worriedly before sneaking a glance back up. "Maybe we can try the um... chapter eight?"

Oh my god are you adorable!

Orion hugged Zach to his chest, a smile that had to be wider than the state of Texas stretching his lips. "Deal!"

Without a second thought he carefully lifted Zachary from his lap, then realized he forgot something and leaned in for a quick kiss. Once that was done, he settled the book back in his lap and opened it to the beginning of the homework problems. "Can we restart? I lost you after the fifth one and would like to go back over everything to make sure that I can put the bigger problems together."

Zachary's embarrassment completely disappeared as he nodded and scooted right up against him, then flipped the paper over and got busy writing out the first problem again.

"So this is how most of the problems, even the bigger ones in this chapter, are going to start out when you solve them..."

They worked until Xena knocked on their door, telling them to come up to begin work, since they'd started working on the homework after prepping. They were on the last problem anyways, so they quickly finished it up before racing upstairs. Orion was a bit miffed that it had literally taken all of their time, but at the same time he could at least look forward to later. And that's exactly what he did as he worked his entire nine hour shift with a smile on his face. His patrons seemed to think it was because of them, and hell, he let them. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

When he had finally emptied his room and clocked out, Orion was a bundle of nerves and eager butterflies as he raced downstairs to his room. Zachary had come up two hours earlier, having been dismissed since all of the dishes were clean and the food portion of the business had slowed to a crawl. He was slightly worried that he was already asleep, snug under the blankets... in that case, he'd just swallow his excitement and take the snuggle. Thankfully, when he stepped inside and shut, then locked the door, he heard the shower just turning on.

Yes!

It took everything in him not to run into the bathroom and scoop his boy up for a kiss, and other things, but he took his time removing his pants instead. He then walked into his closet and got down several leather ropes. The first one he wrapped tightly around his leg since he had no boxers on under his tight pants when he worked. The familiar sting of the tight leather had him sighing with contentment before adding another to his already partially-wrapped right arm.

There. That feels amazing.

And it did. Turning, he took the other two ropes and headed straight for the bathroom. His heart was pounding in his chest, and it wasn't disappointed. When his eyes fell upon Zachary's blurred image in the back of the shower through the frosted glass, Orion couldn't keep his heart's speed from doubling. He carefully stepped inside the shower, tossing the two extra ropes aside in favor of focusing on the gorgeous man trying to tie himself up with the buckles he had fastened to the tile in the back of the shower.

It was obvious that Zachary was trying to tie himself up. He was failing with the second binding, considering his right arm was already fastened, but it was so adorable he had to just stand and stare for a few moments before walking forward and taking his hands gently. For good measure, he leaned in and kissed Zach's nose, too. "Hey sweetheart," Orion whispered as the warm water from the showerhead tapped against his backside and legs.

"Ready to Explore and Exercise?" Orion asked with a smirk, saying the title of the most recent chapter they've read aloud. The blush he was so used to seeing on Zachary's soft cheeks flared to life as he nodded. It wasn't hesitant, however, and that had Orion's heart swell with pride. He leaned over, taking Zachary's lips hungrily as he slowly moved his hands to Zach's left, unbound one. Without even looking Orion fastened it masterfully over the others' head, then fixed the other one so that it was more comfortable. When he was finished he leaned back to check his work, then return his eyes to Zachary's.

"Is it okay? Are you okay?"

He could hear the hope in his voice, though he hadn't meant to let it slip. He didn't want to pressure Zachary into any of this if he wasn't ready to take the step, but after Zach glanced up at each of his hands and flexed his wrists, he smiled and looked back at Orion. "I'm okay."

Orion returned his smile and nodded before turning and grabbing one of the ropes. Because Zachary still had his boxers on, Orion automatically knew that he was comfortable as long as they were left on. Of course they had been naked several times before, but this was a new situation and the chapter emphasized that the sub needed to be sure that he was one hundred percent comfortable in the situation.

"Tell me everything that you feel as I go, okay? I want to hear good, bad, okay, and what not. No holding back just to make me happy, okay sweetheart?"

Zachary nodded and Orion mirrored the action before kneeling down and beginning to wrap the leather simply but tightly around his boy's leg. Technically Zach was a man, but Orion couldn't help but think of him as his boy because of the way he general viewed males and females. It was the same as saying boys and girls. Zachary wasn't exactly manly in most aspects, either. He was just usually adorable and curiously naive.

Mine. Orion thought proudly. The prospect of Zachary standing strong in front of him, his body filled out to a healthy weight and a possible light beard on his chin did have Orion thinking of him as a man. It would take time though, and he was in no hurry to switch one of his pet names for Zachary. His boy was his sweetheart, and for now, that was that.

Finishing tying the leather, he looked up at Zachary and raised a brow. "It's okay." His boy mumbled, immediately telling him that it was likely not the right place.

Orion quickly undid it, then stood and reached up over Zach's head. He remembered how he had liked the bindings on his arms, so he carefully wrapped the length of leather around his left one firmly, then looked down at his boy. The expression Zachary had on his face at that moment tugged hard at Orion's heart. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted with his head tilted back. Swallowing, Orion leaned down, keeping his hands firmly grasped on Zach's bindings as he brushed his lips with his own.

"Good?"

The moan that was given in response had Orion pressing down harder against Zachary's lips, nibbling on his bottom one until he opened for him. Immediately he could taste remnant flavors of his sweetheart's dinner. Fedicini Alfredo. David had made it for him one of the rare times George had let him out of his room while healing. Zach had been hooked ever since. It's far better to be addicted to pasta than drugs.

The sudden seriousness of his thoughts made Orion uncomfortable... and for the first time in awhile, hungry for something he definitely shouldn't be thinking about. Staring down at his arms, he took a steadying breath, remembering the old scars he'd put there by more needles than he could remember. That had been one of the main reasons why he started getting interested in his current lifestyle. He could hide his flaws beneath the leather, or blame them on it. Not that he didn't like the secure feeling of it, he did, but there were many different layers to every decision. Most people just didn't dig beneath the first. And he was grateful for that.

"Orion?"

Blinking himself out of his negative thoughts, Orion tried to push them away, but they lingered as he fumbled with the bindings on Zachary's wrists. He could read the confusion on his sweetheart's face, but he couldn't continue right then. After being clean for so long, he was having trouble with the sudden slam of cravings. When he got Zach free he paced backward until he felt the cool tile against his back, then slowly slid to the floor. It was hard to fight it, having been taken so off-guard by the feelings. He could remember the highs, the amazing feeling of being invincible. Of not caring.

"No, Orion."

Part of the haze swamping his mind cleared enough to allow him to hear Zachary and see him carefully kneel down in front of his bent legs. When Zach reached forward and began running his fingers over his pulse, then leaned in to check his eyes, Orion felt his heart nearly shatter at his own stupidly. Zachary was checking him for reactions to drugs! The idea that Zach would even know what to look for bothered him, but he knew it shouldn't. He had been on the streets, too. Had likely seen people shooting up, smoking, or doing just about anything else to get drugs into their systems. How he had evaded all of that was amazing.

No it's not. It's because he's a very smart and sweet guy. He knew better. you didn't.

"Orion, how do you answer question number two in the homework?"

Two?

He had to think hard to figure out what he was talking about, but then began to remember. It was the only problem he'd had trouble with that wasn't complicated. It had just stumped him until they tried it a second time.

"You multiply everything by the same number, then use the formula in the first part of the chapter."

"Which one?" Zachary asked as he leaned closer, snuggling against him and making him move his legs to the tile floor. They were both beneath the showerhead, just out of range of the spray.

"...that stupid one. The one with the division. They should have had the multiplication part as part of the equation."

"True. But you taught them. You nearly have that problem memorized now."

Orion grinned, though he was still having trouble thinking through his body's strong cravings.

"Now then, how about that last problem?"

That had him groaning and tossing his head back, right into the tile wall with a smack. "Ow." Zachary reached up and rubbed his head, making the pain mostly dissipate after a few moments.

"That problem. I'll tell you about that stupid problem. There were so many parts that it should be illegal. Who the heck expects someone to memorize that you have to convert lengths to match each others' units, then multiply them by speed, which also has to be converted correctly. Then!" He emphasized with a deep exhale. "You have to subtract remaining distance and divide by the time. Which, of course..."

Zachary grinned and finished his sentence as Orion smirked down at him. "You have to convert!"

"Yes!" Orion shouted with a dramatic roll of his eyes as he wrapped his arms lightly around Zachary.

"Well, you got through all of those evil problems, and got them correct." Zach said with a smile as he leaned up to press a soft kiss to Orion's jaw before nestling back against his chest.

"Hell yeah I did. They were a pain but I showed them."

Zachary chuckled and nodded against Orion's chest before he leaned back a little and smiled.

"You did. And I'm really proud of you, Master Orion."

The rest of the clouds fogging up his mind cleared with that one sentence from Zachary. It was a relief. Such a great relief. It did worry him that he had gotten so out of it so suddenly, and he'd likely need to tell Xena later since she had been such a big part of him finally getting off the blasted things. Thoughts about having to get more treatment weighed heavily on his mind, but as he felt Zachary wrap his arms around his neck in a tight hug, Orion let his own arms tighten and buried his nose in the crook of his beautiful sweetheart's neck.

I may have to finish dealing with a problem I thought was long gone, but at least I have my own kind of rehab right here in my arms.