Damned If I Do Ya 5/13
Title: Damned If I Do Ya
Author: desperate2break
Rating: U (fer now)
Pairing: Zack Merrick/Oli Sykes
POV: Zack Merrick
Summary: Zack is a born-rich kid with nothing but time on his hands. He knows only luxury and when he wants something, he wants it now. A whole new world is revealed to him when he meets humble Oliver Sykes...
Warnings: Graphic language use, major fluff
Dedications: The people who comment my fic and make me smile insanely, to the brink of breaking of my face.
Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing. But, should anyone want to gift me with anything...
'ZACK!' A piercing voice shrieked. It carried all the way through the new oak staircase to my North Wing and under the gap in my door way and into my ears, past my iPod earphones. 'ZACK! GET DOWN HERE NOW!'
I rolled my eyes. What could my father possibly want? I sighed and set down my iPod, then stood and leaned against the doorframe.
'Yes, Father?' I called.
'GET DOWN HERE, GODDAMN IT!'
Matthew was coming up the stairs - most likely to run my father's bath before his Polo game with the Turmans. 'Sir, your Father requires you most urgently - I suggest you hurry.'
'Who is your loyalty to, Matthew?' I snapped. Then I felt bad. 'I apologize, I shouldn't have snapped. I'm going. Thank you, Matthew.'
He nodded. 'Sir.'
'Yah, Dad?' I asked lazily, taking a seat at the first living table.
'Do you know what this is?' he shook the piece of paper in his hand. 'Well? Do you have any idea what this is?'
'Um...I suppose you're about to tell me, aren't you?'
'DON'T YOU BACKSASS ME, YOUNG MAN!'
'Jesus Christ, what?'
'HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY SPEND $20,000 AT KIRCH DOLL EMPORIUM? IN ONE AFTERNOON?'
I coloured. I hadn't realised it had amounted to so much. Then I remembered the joy on Oli's face and it made it all worth it. 'You spend more than that on cars we don't need.'
'ON A DOLL, ZACKERY! A DOLL? HOW OLD ARE YOU, FIVE?'
'Sir, please, your blood pressure,' Matthew mumbled from the side. Blood pressure, my testicles; he was just trying to spare me like he always did.
'You're right, Matthew, you're right,' my Father sighed, leaning back and breathing heavily. 'I just want to know why my son had to squander so much of my hard-earned money.'
'I'm sorry, Dad. It was a gift. It won't happen again.'
He exhaled again, then nodded. 'I know, Son. I know. Go and have your lunch; we just got in some Danish rolls.'
I bowed my head, and just before I left, I muttered to Matthew, 'Tell Mr Barakat to be expecting me, and get Vinny to bring the car.'
Barakat Time was the best watch-making company in the entire city of Baltimore; everyone who was anyone got their watches made there - Mr Barakat could make a watch from pieces of cotton if you asked him to, and he never ever served anyone less than foreign royalty. Lucky for me, his son Jack and I went way back.
'Hi, Mr Barakat,' I greeted, stepping into the highly air conditioned building.
'Hey, Zack. Jack's in the back with John if you're looking for him.'
'Actually, Sir, I came to see you.'
'Me?' He laid down his bifocals and stared at me good-humouredly. 'And what could I possibly do for my best friend's son?'
'I'm looking for a watch, Sir.'
'Mmmm, aren't we all.'
I cast a glance at Matthew. 'Yes, well, it has to be special. Real special. It's a gift for a friend; he works with his hands a lot - doing what, I've yet to discover - so it needs to be durable. And he likes the colour white - but it needs to be comfortable and nice-looking, too.'
'I think....If you follow me...I have just the thing. You wait at back and I'll come from the storage area. It's where I keep my works of art. Very rarely do I sell these pieces.'
'Thanks, Mr B.'
'Hay, Zackery,' Jack grinned, looking up from his video game.
'Hey Zack,' John greeted; he looked like he was being beaten, badly.
'Hey guys.'
'We didn't schedule anything for today, did we?' Jack asked, whipping John's virtual ass.
'Nope, I'm here to buy a watch from your Dad.'
'For your beggar boyfriend?'
'Shut the fuck up, Jack.' I grit my teeth.
'Is he that poor he needs someone to buy him the essentials?'
'Since when is a $2000 watch essential?' John asked vaguely.
'He's not poor,' I bit out, ' and the watch is a gift.'
'Yeah, yeah. Just make sure he's not mooching off your Dad's fortune, Merrick.'
'He wouldn't do that. He's not like that.' I felt my temper rising through the roof. 'So watch your mouth, fucking cunt.'
'I suggest you watch yours in front of your mother; she'll freak if she finds out you're boning the Lower Class.'
'Don't talk about him like that!' I growled. 'I swear to God, Jack; if you talk like that one more time -'
'Here it is!' Mr Barakat beamed. waltzing into the room. He indicated that I should follow him to the front of the store once more.
'Thanks, Sir,' I tried to smile. 'One more thing; I wondered about having it engraved with my friend's name?'
'Ah yes, I can do that for you right now - give me half an hour. What's the name?'
'Oliver Sykes.'
He frowned a little at the name, then smiled again and wrote it on a piece of paper. 'Very well. Wait here and I'll do it for you.'
Half an hour later, he returned as he'd promised, with the watch in a silver box. I took it out and inspected it with a grin. 'It's great; thank you, Mr Barakat.'
'You're welcome, Zackery. That's $3000 please.'
'Sure. Just charge it to my account.'
'Very well.'
I was so excited, I called Oli while I was still in the car; he told me he was at the Brock Residence again.
'Can you give me this evening with you?' I asked.
'Sure. I'll be outside the front gate this time.'
I left Vinny and Matt there, and took Oli to my friend Ryan Ross''s stable. He hadn't actually housed any horses there for years, but he kept it neat and nice-smelling for when he came out and wrote music. I'd saved his ass so many times, he practically owed me the stable so it was mine to frequent as much as I pleased. I was glad; it was useful for tonight.
Oli sat cross-legged beside me on the hay and fidgeted almost as badly as I did. Then I could hold it in no longer.
'Oli, I have something for you,' I announced with a madman's smile.
He groaned. 'Oh Zack, I hate it when you do this - it makes me so uncomfortable....'
'Just -'
'Open it, yeah I know.' He smiled when he saw it, then fingered the engraving at the back. 'Why, Zack?'
'Well...You told me you never have any time for anything anymore and I guess...I mean, I can't buy you time so I thought...'
'You thought you'd buy me the next best thing.' He looked at me, then leaned forward and cuddled me tight. 'Thank you.'
He paused, deep in thought, so a pout played on his lips. 'I have to tell you something.'
I closed my eyes in dread. Oh God. He was illegal immigrant, wasn't he? And he had a secret vagina and he already had a boyfriend. And herpes.
'I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner...And I get it if you don't want to see me anymore. Because I lied. I shouldn't have lied. Sorry.'
'Oli, what is it?' I whispered.
'I...My dad and me...we're not rich, Zack. I mean, you probably already know that but...My dad is a gardener. He works for all your dad's friends - that's why I'm always at your friends' houses. We don't have stocks and shares...and the phone you always call me on is my dad's. We can't afford a second phone. The reason why I don't have time to do anything is because I help my dad at work every day so that we can pay the rent. We're not like you. We can't buy a $40,000 car on Monday and then two more on Wednesday. We can't even afford one.'
He watched me but I was motionless.
'I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier.'
'So...Do you have money for, like, food?' I asked tentatively.
He chuckled. 'Yes. We're not...It's like this: I can't buy new shoes because I want them, or they look nice. I buy them when my old ones are too ripped to stay on my feet. We're...Not rich.'
Some silence.
'Do you want to not see me now?' he enquired quietly.
I stared down, then right into his beautiful honest eyes. 'Would - would it be okay if I kissed you?'
His eyes widened, then he nodded shyly.
I felt my heart flutter and then take a right at my ribcage as I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. He puckered that perfect pink mouth of his but when I ran my tongue along his lipline, he jerked back.
'Sorry,' he cringed. He bowed his head, face reddening.
'It's okay,' I breathed in between his lips.
He let me in this time, so I could kiss him properly. I slid the tip of my tongue along the sides of his and tasted the sweet insides of his cheeks, before biting down gently on his top lip.
He laughed right into my mouth and drew back, still giggling.
'Sorry,' he said bashfully, 'it tickled.'
Then he blushed mauve and mushed his face into his hands. 'God, I'm so inept. I'm sorry.'
It was my turn to laugh now, and I put my arms around him and smied. 'Either you're extremely ticklish, or that was your first kiss. Was it?'
He tensed, then nodded.
Seventeen, smart, beautiful, funny...and never been kissed. I found it unbelievable, but I liked it.
'How'd you know?' he asked.
'I reacted the same way with my first kiss. Can - Can I do it again?'
'Okay.'
I was a lot slower this time, so he could get used to it, and I don't know if it's entirely possible but....he tasted of flowers. His skin smelt like roses, his hair smelt of lillies, and his mouth tasted of tulips.
I pulled away, grinning. 'You're like a flower, you know that?'
'Does that mean I'm a nancy-fairy pixie boy?' he sounded upset.
'No.' I pulled him to me and cradled his nape, running a thumb along his neck. 'It means you taste like tulips.'
He nestled into me at this point and just stayed there, clutching my t-shirt with his eyes closed while I stroked his hair. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world; like he was utterly comfortable.
I nudged him a few times, with no result. He'd probably fallen asleep; I was safe.
'I love you, Oli,' I whispered to his resting frame. 'Ever since the day I met you...I love you.'
'....I love you too, Zack,' he replied, making me jump. 'You make me float.'
Float because he was free.
And free because he was with me.