Stupidity

Nobody thought Zack had it in him to cheat, but he did. Once in high school Zack peaked at Rian’s answers in physics, it didn’t matter back then though. The consequences never hurt anyone, Rian never found out and Zack passed with flying colours even without that extra mark. That sort of cheating everyone can forgive and forget about but what he did to Martin can’t.

Martin, isn’t an over emotional guy. Never has, probably never will. He does however love Zack and, as expected, wanted Zack to love him back. Which he did. Everything was great, there were bumps along the way but the view was always stunning. Martin couldn’t ask anymore of Zack, they made each other happy and that was the whole point. As they say you can’t have a happily ever after if you aren’t in love.

Three full solid years it had been that way, nothing looked set to change anytime soon from Martins perspective. For Zack however it was a different story. Zack was beginning to notice something, they’d stopped being physical. Sure Martin would leave countless sticky notes around the house before he went to work, cook for Zack almost every night and surprise him at work but that wasn’t enough. At mid-twenties, Zack thought that it would be only natural to want to have sex.

Zack, being a natural born worrier started to jump to what Martin thought were impossible conclusions. Zack would pester Martin with questions; Am I not attractive? Are you hiding something from me? Is the mattress not comfy? Ok, the latter Martin just found remarkable funny. Really Martin thought it was a waste of time, he’d much rather snuggle and talk, he was romantic that sort of way.

Zack didn’t want romance, he wanted Martin. He didn’t care if sex didn’t have a symbolic meaning and that it was utterly pointless as nothing was being reproduced, he also didn’t want a sex-ed lesson off of Martin. Zack finally came to the conclusion that Martin was far too perfect for his own good. The younger man had reminded the elder that every day was not valentines, that he could let up and be a normal guy with the feelings of a pig. Martin wouldn’t have it.

So that’s when it happened, Zack cheated on Martin. But just for sex. Zack didn’t even know the guys name, it meant nothing but when Martin found out, it became everything. For the first time it was Zack trying to stop Martin crying, not the other way around. Crying wasn’t exactly the way Zack thought Martin would deal with it; he thought he’d swear a lot then barge out the house like a mad man.

But he just cried instead. Barriers were broke and suddenly he forgot how to hold it in, his might was useless. That night he avoided Zack by locking himself in the bathroom (Zack suspected he might have done something serious but didn’t) and not coming out for three hours. After that he slept on the couch, he knew he’d only grab onto Zack if he lay beside him so that night the sofa cushions became Zack. Feather filled fabric didn’t give back the same hugs as Zack did.

The next morning Martin didn’t speak which was a rarity. To add to the awkwardness, Martin couldn’t go to work as Saturday was his day off. Zack gave up trying to talk to Martin around eleven, deciding that if he wanted to act like a child then he could act like a child. Martin was somewhat disappointed; if the roles were reversed he would have tried until twilight to get Zack to talk. Well, he wouldn’t have cheated on Zack in the first place.

By dinner time Martin had left the house, not knowing where he was going and not caring either. Zack cared though; he didn’t want Martin to do anything stupid. Doing stupid things were one of Martins little faults, like once he called an ambulance when his friend Paul fell over, a nice gesture but he almost got arrested for wasting paramedic’s time. Zack wasn’t entirely sure what stupid thing Martin would do but he worried none the less.

Martin, as it turned out didn’t do anything stupid. He went round to Paul’s, told him everything and then left without hearing his best friend’s advice. Maybe that could be counted as a minor stupid action. Later he walked round the park, just thinking about things. Not necessarily the fact that he had been cheated on, but his whole life in general, and how it sucked sometimes.

The more Martin thought about it, the less he minded. Zack made a mistake; everybody makes mistakes, even God. Gradually Martin stopped his park route and began to retrace his steps home, home after all is where Zack is. And Zack is everything. The truth was Martin’s life revolved around Zack, he needed Zack. Even his routine was based around Zach, he woke up early to leave notes and he drove like a psycho just to get home faster. What for? For Zack of course, it was always for Zack.

The closer he got the faster Martins steps became until he was full out sprinting. He weaved through people about to head into town for the night-clubs and never stopped even though a stitch had begun to tug at his side. Surely though this wasn’t right, Zack should have been the one sprinting for dear life to talk to Martin, not the way it was unfolding. Martin for once didn’t care for logic, Zack was far more important.

Zack was still alone at this point, a part of him half not expecting Martin to come back, ever. Who would blame him, he slept with somebody else, and Martin had a right to be angry at him. If Zack was Martin he would have gone and slept with somebody else, to make Zack taste his own medicine. Deep inside of him Zack knew Martin wouldn’t do that, as said before, he was perfect.

Now dashing just as madly as he drove, Martin was in sight of the apartment building they had lived in for just over a year. All of a sudden his legs grew heavy, either out of fatigue or nervousness, which one it was he didn’t have a clue. He’d been a right bitch to Zack, ignoring him and refusing to speak or sleep beside him. Self hatred washed over Martin, he just realized he had over reacted.

He exploded into the house like a fire cracker and instantly started calling out Zack’s name. Zack however went into a state of shock, Martin had come back. Who was he kidding; Martin was always going to come back. Martin loved him to much, well actually, loves him too much. Zack felt guilty, he didn’t love Martin as much as Martin did him, and it was not fair on Martin.

Martin rushed into the living room just as fast as he had ran here, Zack stood up the moment he entered. They both went to say something but instead blushed a deep shade of crimson; they had a habit of doing that. Martin quickly batted away the tense air by bounding over and hugging Zack tightly. Zack froze for a second or two but as he cliché as it sounds, melted into Martin (even though he was a bit on the cold side after being out so long.)

This time when Zack had cheated, he didn’t get a better grade. What he got was much more wonderful; he got reassurance, the reassurance of however of an idiotic thing he did, Martin would always come back. And Martin learned that however bad a thing Zack done, he loved him, and would be a love sick teenager forever.

And so Martin and Zack, (oh what the hell) they lived happily ever after.