In Love We Trust
Chapter 04
Matthew walked back out to the track, smiling warmly at Zack who was sprawled out on the ground, basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun. He chuckled to himself as he realized that Zack had fallen asleep in this position. Matthew was exceedingly thankful that Zack had not witnessed the words passed between he and Brian some moments ago; he knew how Zack felt about the older man and Zack definitely would have blamed Matthew for the confrontation. Matthew stooped down to ground-level, curling his long, toned legs under himself. Leaning forward he softly brushed some falen strands of hair out of Zack's face. The younger man stirred ever so slightly, swiping at his face in confusion. Matthew smiled down at the young man, shaking him gently to rouse him from his slumber.
Zack turned on his side, curling into a phoetal position. Matthew grinned admirably at his sleeping figure, taking in the way his chest rose and fell with each breath, the curves of his hip bones and his pale complexion. Nothing about this man was masculine, maybe that's why Matthew found himself so hopelessly attracted to Zack. He couldn't begin to understand his feelings and hoped upon hope that the other soldiers had not noticed his soft spot for Zack; he was never as hard on Zack and always let him away with everything.
Matthew remained still, continuing to silently study Zack's dormant form. He looked so at peace, anything but worried about the months to come. The older man knew that if he didn't take the younger man under his arm he would surely perish, Matthew did not want this, not at all. Then there was the question of Brian, Matthew pondered about the tussel in the back room of the gymnasium, quietly wondering what it could have meant for Zack's future with Brian. Matthew never quite understood why Zack had fallen so head-over-feet for Brian; since he'd met the two boys Brian had always insulted Zack. If he wasn't after poor Zack for his weight he was after him for his palor or the clothing he wore. Brian was like a faulty discus that just kept coming around incessantly when all you wanted to do was throw it away.
Matthew knew that if Brian were not in the picture he could easily claim Zack as his own. However he cared too much for the younger's feelings. This care being the only reason he had paired Zack with Brian and not himself; how he longed to share a bed with Zack. But he could never do such a thing when Zack's heart did not fully belong to him and a part of Matthew knew that it never would. Should something ever happen to Brian, Zack would be devastated. He loved Brian with every fiber in his being and Matthew wished that Brian wasn't such a vain and arrogant fool.
Matthew snapped his attention back to Zack when a yawn shuddered through the younger man's body, cutting the silence like a knife. Zack lethargically pulled himself up into a sitting position. He tiredly rubbed at his eyes, focusing on the man in front of him. Mathew smiled at the man before him, his sleep-ridden state only serving the purpose of making him look even more adorable than usual. Matthew arose from his sitting position, offering Zack his arm to pull him up. When Zack made no move to get up Matthew blushed and returned to his crouched position. Zack smiled sheepishly at his commander and bestfriend, the smile slowly draining away replaced by a grimace.
Matthew scooted closer to Zack, noticing a few stray tears escaping from his gorgeous jade eyes. Matthew wrappd his arms around the younger man, offering him some comfort. "What's wrong Zack?"
Zack leaned into Matthew's touch and sighed, "why can't I be like you Matt?"
Matthew's eyebrows knitted in confusion, "like me?"
Zack nodded, "why can't I be attractive, respected and strong?"
"Oh, Zack. You didn't hear the argument between Brian and I did you?"
Zack bowed his head in shame before nodding, "why can't I be perfect like you? Everyone loves you."
Everyone except for you, Matthew thought to himself. "You are perfect Zack; you're beautiful."
"You're just saying that; no one really believes that I am."
"I know at least one person who does. You mean the world to them."
Zack sniffled, "don't play with my head Matthew; this isn't a game to me."
"Who said I was playing a game? There really is someone out there who cares about you."
"Yeah, well if that is the truth then why haven't I found him yet?" Zack scoffed.
"I think you have, you've just been so caught up with Brian that you've never realized how hopelessly devoted he is to you."
Zack looked up into Matthew's hazel-green tinted eyes, his own jade gaze filled with unshed tears. "Who would love me?"
"I-" Matthew began.
"I would." Brian strolled into the room, a swagger evident in his every step.
Matthew rose to his feet, "what are you doing here, Brian?"
"The same thing you are, I am sure. Now if you'd excuse me, I'll be taking my lover back to my room now." Brian grabbed Zack roughly by the arm, dragging him up and away from Matthew.
Zack let Brian drag him away, glancing helplessly over his shoulder at Matthew. Zack cried out in agony as Brian's grip on his arm tightened. Matthew's eyes caught those of Zack's and he saw the fear written in those jade orbs. He saw the heartache, the confusion. Most of all he saw the destruction that Brian was doing to the love of his life. Even if Zack never felt the same for Matthew as he did the younger, he knew that he couldn't let Brian have his way. Matthew marched over to Brian's reatreating form, quickly tapping him on the shoulder. Once Brian had turned to face Matthew, Matthew threw a punch at him. Brian released Zack's arm, stumbling back into the wall. Brian placed a hand on the wall, leaning into the structure for support. The left side of his face ached uncontrollably, enblazoned by a red fist mark.
Zack stood frozen at the gate, looking between Brian and Matthew. He didn't know whether he should punch Matthew himself or run to him with arms wide open in thanks. He loved Brian to pieces but he hated the way Brian treated him. It was as if Brian loved the way that Zack loved him but hated the way he was supposed to return said love. Zack watched as Matthew strode up to Brian's weakened body. Matthew pinned the younger man to the wall, growling in a dangerous tone as he spoke with venom.
"Don't you ever touch him like that again. I will not have that type of abuse in my army."
"You don't own me." Brian shot back.
Matthew grinned wolfishly, revealing a set of immaculate teeth. "That's where you're wrong Haner; I own every man in this damn army."
"Fuck you!" Brian snarled.
"Now, now Brian. Play nicely! As much as I know you'd like to have your way with me it's not going to happen."
"Asshole!"
Matthew smirked "now if you'd excuse me, I have a date with Vengeance."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Zack and I going back to my quarters and engaging in a passionate session of love making. If you even try to bother us I'll make sure you're demoted to a helot. 'Brian the peasant boy', it sure has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Matthew grasped Zack by the hand, threading their fingers together. Zack smiled shyly at the older man, placing a hesitant kiss to his lips before letting the more dominant of the two lead him from the room. Sparing a glance back at Brian's crumpled form, he swore he could see a wetness on his cheeks.
Zack turned on his side, curling into a phoetal position. Matthew grinned admirably at his sleeping figure, taking in the way his chest rose and fell with each breath, the curves of his hip bones and his pale complexion. Nothing about this man was masculine, maybe that's why Matthew found himself so hopelessly attracted to Zack. He couldn't begin to understand his feelings and hoped upon hope that the other soldiers had not noticed his soft spot for Zack; he was never as hard on Zack and always let him away with everything.
Matthew remained still, continuing to silently study Zack's dormant form. He looked so at peace, anything but worried about the months to come. The older man knew that if he didn't take the younger man under his arm he would surely perish, Matthew did not want this, not at all. Then there was the question of Brian, Matthew pondered about the tussel in the back room of the gymnasium, quietly wondering what it could have meant for Zack's future with Brian. Matthew never quite understood why Zack had fallen so head-over-feet for Brian; since he'd met the two boys Brian had always insulted Zack. If he wasn't after poor Zack for his weight he was after him for his palor or the clothing he wore. Brian was like a faulty discus that just kept coming around incessantly when all you wanted to do was throw it away.
Matthew knew that if Brian were not in the picture he could easily claim Zack as his own. However he cared too much for the younger's feelings. This care being the only reason he had paired Zack with Brian and not himself; how he longed to share a bed with Zack. But he could never do such a thing when Zack's heart did not fully belong to him and a part of Matthew knew that it never would. Should something ever happen to Brian, Zack would be devastated. He loved Brian with every fiber in his being and Matthew wished that Brian wasn't such a vain and arrogant fool.
Matthew snapped his attention back to Zack when a yawn shuddered through the younger man's body, cutting the silence like a knife. Zack lethargically pulled himself up into a sitting position. He tiredly rubbed at his eyes, focusing on the man in front of him. Mathew smiled at the man before him, his sleep-ridden state only serving the purpose of making him look even more adorable than usual. Matthew arose from his sitting position, offering Zack his arm to pull him up. When Zack made no move to get up Matthew blushed and returned to his crouched position. Zack smiled sheepishly at his commander and bestfriend, the smile slowly draining away replaced by a grimace.
Matthew scooted closer to Zack, noticing a few stray tears escaping from his gorgeous jade eyes. Matthew wrappd his arms around the younger man, offering him some comfort. "What's wrong Zack?"
Zack leaned into Matthew's touch and sighed, "why can't I be like you Matt?"
Matthew's eyebrows knitted in confusion, "like me?"
Zack nodded, "why can't I be attractive, respected and strong?"
"Oh, Zack. You didn't hear the argument between Brian and I did you?"
Zack bowed his head in shame before nodding, "why can't I be perfect like you? Everyone loves you."
Everyone except for you, Matthew thought to himself. "You are perfect Zack; you're beautiful."
"You're just saying that; no one really believes that I am."
"I know at least one person who does. You mean the world to them."
Zack sniffled, "don't play with my head Matthew; this isn't a game to me."
"Who said I was playing a game? There really is someone out there who cares about you."
"Yeah, well if that is the truth then why haven't I found him yet?" Zack scoffed.
"I think you have, you've just been so caught up with Brian that you've never realized how hopelessly devoted he is to you."
Zack looked up into Matthew's hazel-green tinted eyes, his own jade gaze filled with unshed tears. "Who would love me?"
"I-" Matthew began.
"I would." Brian strolled into the room, a swagger evident in his every step.
Matthew rose to his feet, "what are you doing here, Brian?"
"The same thing you are, I am sure. Now if you'd excuse me, I'll be taking my lover back to my room now." Brian grabbed Zack roughly by the arm, dragging him up and away from Matthew.
Zack let Brian drag him away, glancing helplessly over his shoulder at Matthew. Zack cried out in agony as Brian's grip on his arm tightened. Matthew's eyes caught those of Zack's and he saw the fear written in those jade orbs. He saw the heartache, the confusion. Most of all he saw the destruction that Brian was doing to the love of his life. Even if Zack never felt the same for Matthew as he did the younger, he knew that he couldn't let Brian have his way. Matthew marched over to Brian's reatreating form, quickly tapping him on the shoulder. Once Brian had turned to face Matthew, Matthew threw a punch at him. Brian released Zack's arm, stumbling back into the wall. Brian placed a hand on the wall, leaning into the structure for support. The left side of his face ached uncontrollably, enblazoned by a red fist mark.
Zack stood frozen at the gate, looking between Brian and Matthew. He didn't know whether he should punch Matthew himself or run to him with arms wide open in thanks. He loved Brian to pieces but he hated the way Brian treated him. It was as if Brian loved the way that Zack loved him but hated the way he was supposed to return said love. Zack watched as Matthew strode up to Brian's weakened body. Matthew pinned the younger man to the wall, growling in a dangerous tone as he spoke with venom.
"Don't you ever touch him like that again. I will not have that type of abuse in my army."
"You don't own me." Brian shot back.
Matthew grinned wolfishly, revealing a set of immaculate teeth. "That's where you're wrong Haner; I own every man in this damn army."
"Fuck you!" Brian snarled.
"Now, now Brian. Play nicely! As much as I know you'd like to have your way with me it's not going to happen."
"Asshole!"
Matthew smirked "now if you'd excuse me, I have a date with Vengeance."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Zack and I going back to my quarters and engaging in a passionate session of love making. If you even try to bother us I'll make sure you're demoted to a helot. 'Brian the peasant boy', it sure has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Matthew grasped Zack by the hand, threading their fingers together. Zack smiled shyly at the older man, placing a hesitant kiss to his lips before letting the more dominant of the two lead him from the room. Sparing a glance back at Brian's crumpled form, he swore he could see a wetness on his cheeks.