Different Dimension

Zack woke with a shudder, drool connecting his face to the pillow under his head, mouth tasting (and feeling) like something had died in it. Fuck. He needed water. What happened last night? He didn’t…wow, he couldn’t remember anything past the first few rounds of shots that Sierra had convinced him to do. Like, literally, he couldn’t remember anything.

And oww, trying to think kicked in one hell of a headache. It honestly felt like his head was going to bust open. Zack groaned, forcing his eyes open, waiting for his vision to stop being blurry before he attempted lifting his head.

It took a few seconds for him to realise he wasn’t in his own bedroom. The desk was in a different place, there were obscure art canvases on the wall, and there were curtains instead of blinds over the window. Fuck. Fuck, where was he? Who did he go home with?! Did he have sex with a stranger?! This so wasn’t like him! Damn it Sierra!

With a whimper, he squeezed his eyes shut and felt behind him…but the rest of the bed was empty. What the fuck?!

“I’m over here, Zack,”

Zack’s eyes shot open, only to see Martin sitting at a desk. Martin?! What…

“O-Oh my God. What did I…What happened…Did we…?”

Zack trailed off with a whimper, running his hand over his head as he sat upright, ignoring the agony in his skull. Tequila made him into a slut.

“Hey, calm down. Nothing happened. Nothing particularly anyway,” Martin said softly.

What? Fuck, he wasn’t sober enough for this.

“I-I don’t understand,” Zack choked.

Martin smiled wryly, getting up off the desk chair to sit on the bed next to Zack. It was only then that he realised Martin was fully dressed, while he was only in his underwear. Oh fuck! Stupid fucking tequila! Martin laughed softly (fondly?) at his distressed expression.

“First of all, we didn’t fuck. You tried, I’ll give you that, but we didn’t. Probably a good thing I live in a single dorm,” Martin mused.

What?

Like a smack in the face, Zack was hit with a flashback of the end of last night, blurrily stumbling out of a cab, clinging to Martin’s body, Martin’s arm wrapped around him until Martin opened his dorm door. Then stripping his clothes off ungracefully down to his boxers, grabbing and tugging at Martin’s clothes until Martin pushed him gently down onto the bed in rejection. Oh fuck. He was a complete and utter embarrassment to his mom and everyone and everything. Fuck. He could’ve been in so much trouble, could’ve gotten in a humiliating situation if it hadn’t been Martin. If Martin hadn’t been a gentleman. Fuck.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t even remember acting like such an idiot,” Zack whimpered.

Martin smiled sadly, and shook his head.

“I figured you wouldn’t remember,” Martin shrugged, “hence why I didn’t give in and take advantage,”

Zack inhaled sharply, mouth feeling even dryer than before.

“I don’t understand why I came back here with you though. I thought you hated me,” Zack mumbled.

Martin frowned, before reaching over to cup Zack’s face, making Zack’s breath hitch in his throat. What…What was he doing?

“I could never hate you, okay?” Martin said, softly and sincerely.

Zack didn’t dare speak. He didn’t trust himself right now. Martin swallowed heavily but continued, not moving his hand.

“I was a coward to run away from our kiss. It wasn’t your fault. I’ve never felt anything in a kiss like I felt with you and I got scared,” Martin confessed.

Zack tried to process Martin’s words but struggled. Martin didn’t hate him after all? He felt the same?

“You were scared?” Zack repeated, unable to stop the frown that passed over his face.

“Scared enough to nearly lose you to a spandex-clad cheerleader,” Martin said dryly, pulling his hand away.

Zack blushed slightly at the obvious deflection, blushing enough to hide his disappointment at losing Martin’s touch. He vaguely remembered dancing. Dancing badly. Dancing badly with a body pressed close to his own. Damn it.

“What happened?” Zack asked hesitantly.

He almost didn’t want to know.

“Well, I endured you grinding with that creep for nearly an hour, until he tried to stick his hand into your underwear and I snapped…”

Oh God.

“…I punched him in the face and dragged you away. I kinda yelled that you were mine and he couldn’t touch you, actually. Then I got us in a cab where you proceeded to try giving me a boner, much to the amusement of the driver. But I couldn't just drop you off at your dorm. It didn't feel right and I couldn't just leave you like that. Not again,” Martin shrugged, unashamed.

Zack paled slightly. Wow. He really did become completely and utterly slutty with tequila. And apparently Martin became a caveman. Zack didn’t completely hate that. Then he realised what Martin said.

“You saved me again,” Zack said, smiling shyly.

“It’s becoming a bad habit. I don’t regret it for one minute though,” Martin mused.

Zack bit his bottom lip, looking down at his hands, unable to cope with how fondly Martin was looking at him. He didn’t really know what he was meant to do now. He’d spent all week feeling so hurt because of the older boy, feeling like he was useless and unwanted, and now Martin was admitting that he felt the same as Zack did? That it had been a mistake to leave Zack?

“So what do we do now?” Zack asked, daring to look at the older boy again.

Fuck, he was still smiling fondly. But that was a good thing, right?

“Well, we can forget last night ever happened and go our separate ways, never to speak again, or you could forgive me and we can chill out together today,” Martin offered.

Wait, what?

“You still want to spend time with me?” Zack asked, confused.

“More than anything,” Martin said, nodding, “But only if you can accept my apology, only if you can accept that that I really am sorry,”

“Of course I accept your apology! I just…um…I kinda really have a hangover?” Zack said sheepishly.

There was no hiding this mother of a headache. At least he didn’t feel sick. Martin just laughed, standing up from the bed.

“How about I go get us some coffee and some breakfast, while you drink that water and take the tablets I put next to the bed. You might want to check your phone too - it’s been buzzing all morning. No doubt texts from your scheming friend Sierra and the rest of your motley crew,” Martin suggested, raising an eyebrow at the end.

Zack blushed slightly. So Martin had figured out Sierra had encouraged him to get stupidly drunk and dance. Whoops. At least he could use her as a scapegoat for now. But still…

“And when you get back with coffee?” Zack asked shyly.

What? He wanted to know where he stood with Martin. No more dancing around – he wanted to know everything.

“Well, I don’t really feel like doing much else apart from lying in bed in my underwear watching movies on my laptop. You are more than welcome to stay and join me,”

Zack blushed at Martin’s smirk. Lying in Martin’s bed, both of them just in their underwear, snuggling while watching movies. He could definitely get behind that.

“That sounds perfect,” Zack grinned.

Martin just grinned in reply.