Fic: Couture - RPS - Part 2
Title: Couture
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Chris/Zach
Word count: 5002 (this part)
Warning: Language, sexual situations, graphic sex.
Summary: Zach is a fashion designer and Chris is a male model that he takes an interest in.
Previous parts: Part 1
Part 2
Zach rolls his eyes for the tenth time. He’s fairly sure that he’s never rolled his eyes this much during sex ever before in his life. He’s with a guy whose name he can’t remember, but he’s an underwear model and he seemed eager when he approached him in a bar and so it all led to the natural conclusion of the guy coming home with him.
Zach regrets his decision as the guy moans and screams like he’s in a bad porno and Zach prays none of his neighbours call the cops. Zach knows it’s false and it just makes him annoyed and irritated as the guy continues to scream at Zach to fuck him harder.
What’s even stranger is that he used to not care or even notice when guys would make ridiculously overtop sex noises until Chris came along and insisted on holding full conversations while Zach was trying to fuck him. To be honest, he’d rather hear Chris moan about not knowing where to come than listen to this guy shout out his name one more time.
Zach rolls onto his back once it’s over, the blond haired model smiling dreamily at him.
“Can I stay?” he asks with a smile, his teeth far too bright and his skin too orange.
Zach shakes his head before replying. “I have an early meeting tomorrow so it’d be better if you go,” Zach says neutrally, not wanting to offend the guy but at the same time dropping a rather large hint he’d rather be alone.
Once the nameless model is up and out of his apartment he gets out a cigarette and a drawing pad, hoping to get some rough sketches down but finds no ideas are coming. He does a few drawings before screwing up the piece of paper and throwing it down onto the floor. He hates that the only times he’s had bursts of inspiration at night are when Chris stays over. It seems all too easy then. Some of the drafts he did when he was with Chris have already been decided for the next season’s ready to wear collection.
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and takes a long drag of his cigarette before casting his pad to the side.
…
Zach looks over from his place at one of the interns work stations and sees Chris jog in to the work area, his cheeks flushed, skin glowing, and his eyes bright as he bends over and gasps for air.
“Took you long enough,” Zach snaps and grabs his arm, tugging him past a number of tables littered with fabrics.
“You said it was an emergency,” Chris says, gasping for breath as he’s pulled along.
“It is,” Zach says casually, his voice calm.
“You work here? This place is massive.”
Zach sends him a ‘bitch, please’ look. “I’m not just a fashion designer any more, I own my brand and it’s a business. The amount of clothes I have to knock out every season is impossible for just me to do.”
Chris stumbles along as Zach continues dragging him past a row of tables before coming to a stop by a short, petite blonde girl who’s bent over her work station, hemming the bottom of a garment carefully.
“Mel,” Zach says, causing the girl to whip around quickly. “I want this colour.”
Zach watches as Chris stares down at what he’s wearing with a frown, like he’s wondering why Zach would bring him over here to replicate the black of his cardigan and jeans, or the white of his t-shirt.
Mel’s eyes fix on his face though and Chris blushes slightly. “What’s going on?”
“He wants a dress in your eye colour,” Mel explains, leaning in closely to his face and staring right into his eyes.
Chris smirks. “That’s almost romantic.”
Zach rolls his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. If there had been a coffee mug with that colour, I would have used that.”
“Zach, there’s flecks around the pupil, do you want the overall colour or a specific one?” Mel asks, reaching for a book with colour swatches in and holding up a page against Chris’ face. Zach gets in close and he can tell Chris feels a little uneasy under their gaze.
“Overall. I want the entire ruffled dress in that colour,” Zach says, glancing at Chris’ eye and then to the fabric swatches, pointing to one that’s the closest.
“Done,” Mel says, stepping out of Chris’ personal space and going back to her hemming.
“How was this an emergency?” Chris asks as Zach starts to drag him in a different direction.
“Fashion emergency. We’re in the middle of preparing the women’s collection for the spring summer season and I need everything to be so perfect people will actually cry during my runway show at fashion week.”
“Where we going?” Chris asks, trying to shrug Zach off him as they head into a large office, Zach closing the double doors behind them with a click.
“My office.” Zach turns to fix him with a dark, heated look that makes Chris visibly swallow. “Take your pants off.”
Chris folds his arms over his chest and raises an annoyed eyebrow which Zach finds himself liking all too much. “You can’t just bring me into your work for a fake emergency and then fuck me over your desk. I could have been busy, or at a go see.”
Zach regards him evenly. “Were you?”
Chris rubs the back of his neck. “Well, no, but I could have been and I will be.”
“Get over here,” Zach demands. Chris doesn’t move. “Come on.”
“I’m having lunch with someone in 15 minutes, I’ll see you later,” Chris says dismissively, turning around.
Zach moves forward and whips out his hand to grab Chris’ cardigan sleeve, feeling a little desperate. “Are you doing anything tonight?”
Chris looks at him through narrowed eyes. “Going to a bar with some friends.”
“Go to Zazu, I’ll get you plus five on the guest list.”
Chris takes a moment, his eyes glancing down to where Zach’s hand is curled around his forearm. Chris finally nods reluctantly. Zach gives him a small smile as Chris turns and leaves his office quickly.
Zach can’t remember the last time he’d actually gone out of his way to see a guy. Normally he just waited for them to come to him. He has to admit that working for it does make everything more fun.
…
Zach smiles pleasantly as he stands in the VIP area of the bar, surrounded by several other designers and creative directors, all of them buzzing about their own clothing line that they think will revolutionise fashion. Zach tries not to roll his eyes, knowing that very little nowadays is surprising or inventive when it comes to high fashion. Everything has been done before.
He looks over to the bar and spots Chris, his head thrown back as he laughs at one of his friends jokes. Zach catches Chris’ eye and waves him over. He watches Chris lean in and whisper something in his friend’s ear, which makes Zach look away as his chest clenches. He looks up a few seconds later and sees Chris approaching him with his easy, mischievous smile.
“This is Chris,” Zach announces to their group as he wraps a hand round the back of Chris’ neck. Chris slaps his hand away with an annoyed huff as Zach tries to run a hand through his hair.
There’s several ‘heys’ from around the circle, many of them eyeing Chris up knowingly as Zach wraps an arm around his waist.
“You a model, Chris?” Patrick, one of the other designers asks politely, sipping his drink as his gaze travels down Chris’ body and then back up.
“I am,” Chris says defensively, like Patrick meant it in a derogatory way.
“You’re pretty cute,” Patrick says appreciatively.
“Isn’t he just?” Zach says, like Chris is a piece of meat he’s showing off. Chris doesn’t seem to appreciate it as he tries to shrug Zach’s grip off him with a glare.
“Excuse me, I need the little boy’s room,” Chris says tightly, shooting an irritated look at Zach and moving away from the group rapidly. Zach follows him quickly, weaving in and out of people as he trails Chris all the way to the restroom.
Zach walks in and finds Chris bent appealingly over the sink, splashing his face with water.
“You alright?” Zach asks, nodding to another man as he leaves.
Chris glances at him out of the corner of his eye, exasperation etched over his gorgeous face. “Whatever. Next week you’ll have another male model by your side that you can show off in front of your friends like a new car. I get it. I may be new to this New York fashion lifestyle, but I know all about it and I’m not happy with being used like that.”
Zach feels a clench in his stomach that he’s not used to and it immediately makes him uncomfortable. He decides that being defensive and buttering Chris up will most likely get the best results. Read: sex in a bathroom stall.
“I’m sorry. I know what I was doing and it wasn’t on. Come on, how about we go make up in one of these stalls?” Zach says suggestively, his eyes sliding over to a spare stall.
Zach would never pretend he’s good with the emotional stuff, or speaking to someone like they’re actually meaningful to him, and it shows across Chris’ face as he gives him an incredulous look and Zach realises what he said was definitely not the right thing to say.
“You’re an idiot,” Chris says, shaking his head and putting his hands on his hips. “You haven’t even taken me on a date.”
“What? Since when do you want to date? I thought we could just have fun.”
“I’m not the type of guy to continually have casual sex without some kind of commitment. So, if you want to continue seeing me, you’ll have to date me properly.”
Zach snorts. “I don’t go on conventional dates.”
“Fine,” Chris says with a resigned nod. “It’s been nice knowing you and I’ll see you around.”
Zach feels a panicky feeling settle into his chest as he reaches for Chris as he passes and wraps a hand around his forearm. “Fine, we’ll go on a date.”
Chris narrows his eyes at him. “Do you want to date me?”
Zach swallows and nods. “You’re OK. Got more between your ears than most models I take home.”
“Thanks,” Chris says dryly, rolling his eyes. “I’m going back to my friends and you can go back to yours. You have my number.”
Zach pulls him toward him quickly, pushing his mouth against Chris’ like he simply can’t help himself. Chris pulls back a few seconds later, his lips appealingly swollen and his eyes shining blue as he gazes back at him.
“Give me a call,” Chris says, kissing Zach on the cheek and leaving.
Zach smiles to himself in the empty restroom.
…
“So, tell me about yourself.”
Chris outright laughs, his eyes lighting up as he fiddles with his fork. “You don’t do this a lot, do you?”
Zach shrugs, leaning back in his chair and staring around at the people in the restaurant. “I’ve never seen the point.”
Chris smirks. “Never? The point is so you get to know more about a person than their O-face.”
“I’m making an effort, aren’t I?” Chris shrugs noncommittally. “I’ve brought you to a place where the cheapest thing on the menu is sixty dollars and you’re bitching at me about my lack of date skills.”
“See the thing is, I don’t know if the only reason you’re dating me is because you actually want to get to know me or because you know the only way you’ll get me in bed again is if you take me on a date.”
Zach sighs before lifting his wine glass to his lips and taking a swig. “If I wanted to date a girl, I would. Stop acting like some frigid little princess considering you were the one who had no problem sleeping with me to get a job. And then sleeping with again after that.”
Chris nods his head. “True, but maybe I didn’t just sleep with you to get the job. Sure, it was a plus, but my primary reason was because you’re hot and I hadn’t got laid in forever.”
Zach raises a disbelieving eyebrow and Chris responds with a serious expression.
“I’m sleeping on my friend’s couch, I can’t exactly bring guys back,” Chris explains.
Zach scoffs and shakes his head. “I still don’t believe you. You’re a model, I can’t you see you having problems finding a guy who wants to take you back to his place.”
“I’m new in New York and my friends told me horror stories about weird guys that could kill me in their apartment with a chainsaw. Didn’t wanna take the risk to be honest.”
Zach smiles to himself, looking down at his glass, before looking up at Chris.
“By the way, wearing plaid to a date, Chris? Really?”
Chris shifts uncomfortably, fingering the soft cotton idly. “Err, it’s casual. Like I’m not trying too hard.”
“Or at all.”
“Well I didn’t realise you were taking me to a place that had a five hundred dollar bottle of champagne as a medium priced drink.”
“I said dress up,” Zach says, his lips quirking.
“So, how about you tell me about you?” Chris says bluntly, trying to change the topic off his choice of attire for the evening. “And I don’t mean the crap you tell Vogue journalists or doting fans who think your clothes are so like, oh my god amazing.” Chris says, finishing in a high pitched valley girl accent.
Zach takes another swig of his drink before placing it down. “I love clothes. I love men. The end.”
“Wow, you’re autobiography is going to be really shit. You know, this works both ways, you can ask me something as well.”
Zach smiles and it immediately causes a matching one on Chris’ face. “Fine. What were you like at school? Prom King?”
Chris shakes his head. “I was a loner with oversized glasses and acne.”
“Sure you were,” Zach says with an over the top incredulous eye roll.
“I was, seriously,” Chris says with a laugh.
Zach puts his hands up, not wanting to argue.
“So, you going to tell me anything about you? Anything real?” Chris asks, his eyes deep and searching as he stares across the table, willing Zach to open up a little.
“I have a dog,” Zach says blankly.
Chris lets out a long sigh and sits back. “I know that. God, you’re difficult.”
“Part of my mysterious charm,” Zach mutters. Chris just laughs freely; shaking his head like Zach is hopeless. “So, what did you do before you decided to put your ass into modelling?”
Chris raises an eyebrow. “I tried to be an actor but I was just another wannabe like most people in Hollywood. Couldn’t get any work, so that was that. Someone told me I should be a model because I have a certain look and then I came over to New York where most of the modelling work is. You know the rest.”
Zach nods, fiddling with the table cloth idly as they dip into silence. The waitress then appears, and they order.
“So, are you going to tell me how you became a famous fashion designer?” Chris asks, running his fingers down the stem of his wine glass.
“You can look it up on Wikipedia,” Zach says, trying to casually look at his watch and work out how long it’ll take for their food to come, then eat and leave.
“I don’t put out on the first date,” Chris says with a smirk, like he’s reading his mind.
“We’ll see.”
“I know, you answer three questions completely honestly, and I’ll have sex with you tonight.”
Zach raises an eyebrow, feeling a bundle of nerves settle deep in his stomach. He hates putting himself in vulnerable positions and giving Chris a free pass suddenly seems too unnerving, but he finds himself nodding anyway, his urge to get Chris naked overriding everything else.
Chris smiles, looking pleased Zach agreed. “Longest relationship you’ve ever had?”
Zach almost sighs in relief, expecting something worse. “A year with a guy in college.”
Chris nods. “What was his name?”
“That you’re second question?”
“No. It’s a sub-question. Do you want to see me naked tonight?” Chris bites back, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Zach sighs. “Matt, we were friends and then we fell into a relationship for a while. We’re still friends now.”
Chris nods, looking vaguely satisfied. “Second question, tell me a secret.”
“Firstly, not a question, and secondly, we’re not thirteen and this isn’t a slumber party.”
Chris settles back in his seat and Zach frowns as Chris bites his lip and smiles. Suddenly Zach feels a shoeless foot press against his crotch under the table, rubbing firmly up and down. Zach slouches down in his chair, his eyes flicking shut for a split second.
“Fine, tell me about your dad, what was he like?” Chris asks pleasantly.
Zach frowns, his mind stuck between focusing on Chris’ question, and where his foot is causing him to harden rapidly. “Err, how did you know he’s dead?”
“I Googled you,” Chris smirks, his toes rubbing along the inseam up Zach’s inner thigh. Zach inhales sharply, his posture straightening for a moment. “Tell me.”
“I don’t remember much of it, but my mom loved him and they had a good relationship, oh fuck there,” Zach says, gripping the edge of the table as Chris continues rubbing his crotch with his foot, the zip of his pants digging painfully into his erection.
“You’re not giving me much of an answer really, are you?” Chris says sounding as put together as Zach isn’t.
“You’re molesting me under the, ah, table, it’s hard to give a, ah god, eloquent answer when you’re doing that.”
Chris smirks at him and suddenly his foot is gone and Zach’s left with an erection tenting his smart pants under the table. Zach wants to punch something as the frustration almost overwhelms him.
Zach looks down at his lap in annoyance. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s annoying when you don’t get what you want, isn’t it?”
Zach lets his most evil, shark like grin cross his face. “Wait till I go to town on your ass later.”
Chris’ smile falters at the look and he shifts nervously. “Before you get to my ass, you need to answer a third question. Why are you honestly here with me tonight?”
Zach shifts, reaching down to adjust his pants as subtly as he can. “I want to have sex with you again.” Chris’ eyes flicker with hurt and irritation as he looks down at the table cloth. “I also like you more than I like most people I sleep with.”
“I am bowled over with flattery right now, Zach,” Chris says dryly, downing his glass of wine in one go.
“Look, what more do you want? I like you enough to actually put in the effort to take you out on a date. That’s a big deal for me.”
Chris slows claps with an unimpressed look on his face. “Well, you definitely have an emotional wall to break down, I guess,” Chris says.
“Look, I don’t have layers that you need to rip away to get to my deep and emotional core, guys before you have tried and failed. This is who I am, my work is everything and guys provide me with sexual gratification, the end.”
“Whatever, you have layers. Someone who doesn’t know how to actually vocalize his real feelings and evades anything deep or meaningful suggests there’s an emotional wall there… on the outer layer. I want to get to your inner layers.”
“Say layer again and I might hit you,” Zach half-jokes as Chris’ sits forward.
“Layer,” Chris says slowly, over enunciating.
Zach leans over and playfully slaps his shoulder. Chris just smiles back at him.
Later, when Chris is laughing happily underneath him because Zach is bitching at him about his fat thighs as he rocks into him, Zach realises how completely and utterly screwed he is.
…
“How did I not know this room exists?” Chris asks from the doorway as he stands there in his boxer shorts, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. Zach looks up from where he’s fabric cutting on a large wooden table.
“Most people assume it’s a cupboard, not a whole other room, and I like it that way,” Zach says before leaning over and using a pen to mark the cutting lines.
“This where all those two thousand dollar dresses come from?” Chris asks, taking a sip of his coffee as he leans against the doorjamb, his hair ruffled and blue eyes still slightly glazed over from sleeping. Zach doesn’t want to tear his eyes away.
“Most of my major designs are done in the office, this is just my play area where I can materialise bursts of inspirations into actual designs.”
“Any of them make it into your collection?” Chris asks, his eyes on the rack across the room where three dresses and a sweater is hanging on a rail.
“Only a couple. Most of this stuff is made for me, not to wear, but because it gives me satisfaction. It allows me to put my moods and feelings into a creative outlet.”
Chris smiles at him, pleased. “That’s the deepest thing you’ve ever said to me. I think that’s one layer already gone.”
“Now you have your fix, leave me alone,” Zach says over his shoulder as he leans back down to his fabric.
He almost jerks away as he feels Chris’ hand slide down his back and warm air brush his ear. “Come back to bed.”
Zach used to be able to refuse a gorgeous guy with pretty eyes, but when he stands up straight and looks at Chris, he forgets what he was doing and puts a finger into the elastic waistband of Chris’ boxer shorts and pulls him out of the room.
…
“Can I crash at yours tonight? My friend’s got his girlfriend staying over and I don’t want to listen to that all night,” Chris says immediately as Zach picks up the phone, holding it to his ear as he buttons up his shirt with one hand.
“Crash at mine? I don’t think I’ve known you long enough to give you crashing rights in my apartment,” Zach says.
“Come on, Zach. I’ll do whatever you want in bed,” Chris suggests, his voice dipping to more of a low tone. “Seriously, anything you want, even really kinky stuff like calling you Daddy and using handcuffs.”
Zach rolls his eyes, already knowing he’ll give in considering Chris seems to be his one and only major weakness. He’s only been on one real date with the guy and slept with him a handful of times, but he’s already feeling attached to him like he’s known him a lot longer.
“You can crash, but I won’t be here,” Zach remarks, putting his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he opens his walk in closet and goes through his large collection of dinner jackets.
“Got a date?” Chris teases, his voice playful on the end of the phone like he’s known Zach years and not only a month.
“Fashion gala for some charity I can’t remember. I’m only going because I know a few people going who I need to talk business with.”
Chris is silent at the other end of the phone and Zach wonders if they’ve been cut off till he hears Chris inhale loudly. “Are you not getting a plus one?”
Zach’s jaw tightens, knowing that no way in hell can he take Chris as they’ll be cameras there and he really doesn’t want the media to start speculating about the guy on his arm. There are plenty of pictures of him leaving with guys, but arriving with one would definitely give the gossip columns something to talk about.
“No. Just come over and watch TV or something.”
Chris sighs at the other of the line. “Fine, leave me a spare key at the building’s front desk.”
Zach rolls his eyes, wondering when Chris became so cocky and cheeky, demanding things from Zach that he isn’t sure he wants to give.
“Fine, just don’t bring anyone else and you better be lying naked in my bed when I get back.”
“Deal,” Chris says and suddenly the line is dead on the other end. Zach throws his phone on the bed before shrugging on a jacket.
…
“Back late,” Chris murmurs as he sits up on the couch, the only light in the room coming from the mute television.
Zach walks in, pulling his jacket off and laying it over the back of the couch. Chris is sitting there in only his boxers, eyes bleary and hair messy.
“Open bar, made time go quicker.”
“You OK with me staying here?” Chris asks, looking and sounding oddly vulnerable.
“Sure. Just because you crash here for a night doesn’t mean anything,” Zach says almost to himself. “You’ve stayed over before.”
“Yeah, but this is a little different because it’s like a favour and everything.” Zach just shrugs, not wanting to think about it. Chris looks at the jacket he’s put over the couch and runs a finger along it. “Fancy.”
“A friend gave it to me,” Zach remarks casually.
“What friend?”
“Ralph Lauren,” Zach says with a small smirk as Chris’ eyes widen. “I’m going to grab some water.” Zach goes into the kitchen where Noah is sitting in his crate, looking tired and a little abandoned.
When Zach walks back out he immediately feels a shift in tension as Chris scowls at him from where he’s still sitting on the couch.
“What?”
“Five numbers,” Chris says out of no where, before bringing his hands above the couch and into Zach’s eye line, his fingers flicking between five slips of paper that he clearly found in Zach’s jacket.
Zach rolls his eyes, trying to remember when he agreed to getting married. It annoys him more than he wants to portray because the idea of Chris making him feel guilty for getting guys numbers makes no sense considering he’s done the guy a favour by giving him somewhere to stay for the night, but it doesn’t mean they’re suddenly in an exclusive relationship.
“Who cares? I’m going to bed. I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow,” Zach says dismissively, not having the energy to argue.
Chris’ eyes soften, like he’s realised it’s not worth a fight, and pushes himself up, his tight boxers making it difficult for Zach to look anywhere else.
When they fall into bed it’s a battle between Chris trying to get Zach’s clothes off as quickly as possible and Zach trying to stop him from throwing them on the floor so they don’t get crumpled. Chris laughs against his bellybutton as Zach folds his dress shirt carefully. Zach gives his head a playful swat before Chris crawls up to seal their mouths together.
“Ow,” Chris moans as Zach accidentally shoves his knee into his stomach. Zach mumbles an apology, finding himself out of his comfort zone when having sex with Chris because it’s always just on the right side of awkward and they both spend an inordinate amount of time trying to reposition so they’re not uncomfortable. Chris laughs loudly when Zach gets cramp and has to change position rapidly.
They shove their tongues into each other’s mouths, Zach reaching down to wrap them both in his fist and stroke firmly as Chris releases a gasp into his mouth from underneath him.
He strokes them quickly, Zach biting his lip so he doesn’t make noise, even though he knows he wouldn’t be heard considering how vocal Chris is with his loud moans and whimpers and grunts, all of them shooting Zach closer to his orgasm. Chris wraps an arm around Zach’s neck and holds on, leaning up to kiss once every now and again.
It doesn’t take long before Chris shudders underneath him, his eyes squeezing shut as Zach feels Chris come in wet stripes across his stomach messily. Zach looks down as Chris opens his eyes. The emotions he can read in those impossibly blue eyes are like a punch to his chest and he has to shut his eyes, protecting himself. It only takes a few more strokes before he’s gone.
He forgets to ask for his spare key back.
…
Four nights later and Zach walks into his apartment after a day at work followed by a late evening meal with several colleagues. He’s so tired that he can barely keep his eyes open as he takes off his clothes on the way to the bedroom like a zombie. He gets into the dark bedroom and can make out the familiar lump of Chris on one side of the bed, hogging all the covers. There’s something familiar and comforting about coming home to see Chris in his bed and he feels a warm content feeling wrap around his chest.
Zach climbs under the covers in a daze and pushes his chest up against Chris’ warm back and throws an arm around his body. Chris lets out an appreciative hum and puts his hand over Zach’s.
When Zach wakes up the next morning he suddenly comes to the realisation it’s the first time he’s ever let someone sleep over without having sex since his relationship in college. It makes him feel immediately uncomfortable and unsettled, like something is wrong, but when Chris turns to him with bed head and a droopy smile, Zach suddenly doesn’t care.
Part 3
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Chris/Zach
Word count: 5002 (this part)
Warning: Language, sexual situations, graphic sex.
Summary: Zach is a fashion designer and Chris is a male model that he takes an interest in.
Previous parts: Part 1
Part 2
Zach rolls his eyes for the tenth time. He’s fairly sure that he’s never rolled his eyes this much during sex ever before in his life. He’s with a guy whose name he can’t remember, but he’s an underwear model and he seemed eager when he approached him in a bar and so it all led to the natural conclusion of the guy coming home with him.
Zach regrets his decision as the guy moans and screams like he’s in a bad porno and Zach prays none of his neighbours call the cops. Zach knows it’s false and it just makes him annoyed and irritated as the guy continues to scream at Zach to fuck him harder.
What’s even stranger is that he used to not care or even notice when guys would make ridiculously overtop sex noises until Chris came along and insisted on holding full conversations while Zach was trying to fuck him. To be honest, he’d rather hear Chris moan about not knowing where to come than listen to this guy shout out his name one more time.
Zach rolls onto his back once it’s over, the blond haired model smiling dreamily at him.
“Can I stay?” he asks with a smile, his teeth far too bright and his skin too orange.
Zach shakes his head before replying. “I have an early meeting tomorrow so it’d be better if you go,” Zach says neutrally, not wanting to offend the guy but at the same time dropping a rather large hint he’d rather be alone.
Once the nameless model is up and out of his apartment he gets out a cigarette and a drawing pad, hoping to get some rough sketches down but finds no ideas are coming. He does a few drawings before screwing up the piece of paper and throwing it down onto the floor. He hates that the only times he’s had bursts of inspiration at night are when Chris stays over. It seems all too easy then. Some of the drafts he did when he was with Chris have already been decided for the next season’s ready to wear collection.
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and takes a long drag of his cigarette before casting his pad to the side.
…
Zach looks over from his place at one of the interns work stations and sees Chris jog in to the work area, his cheeks flushed, skin glowing, and his eyes bright as he bends over and gasps for air.
“Took you long enough,” Zach snaps and grabs his arm, tugging him past a number of tables littered with fabrics.
“You said it was an emergency,” Chris says, gasping for breath as he’s pulled along.
“It is,” Zach says casually, his voice calm.
“You work here? This place is massive.”
Zach sends him a ‘bitch, please’ look. “I’m not just a fashion designer any more, I own my brand and it’s a business. The amount of clothes I have to knock out every season is impossible for just me to do.”
Chris stumbles along as Zach continues dragging him past a row of tables before coming to a stop by a short, petite blonde girl who’s bent over her work station, hemming the bottom of a garment carefully.
“Mel,” Zach says, causing the girl to whip around quickly. “I want this colour.”
Zach watches as Chris stares down at what he’s wearing with a frown, like he’s wondering why Zach would bring him over here to replicate the black of his cardigan and jeans, or the white of his t-shirt.
Mel’s eyes fix on his face though and Chris blushes slightly. “What’s going on?”
“He wants a dress in your eye colour,” Mel explains, leaning in closely to his face and staring right into his eyes.
Chris smirks. “That’s almost romantic.”
Zach rolls his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. If there had been a coffee mug with that colour, I would have used that.”
“Zach, there’s flecks around the pupil, do you want the overall colour or a specific one?” Mel asks, reaching for a book with colour swatches in and holding up a page against Chris’ face. Zach gets in close and he can tell Chris feels a little uneasy under their gaze.
“Overall. I want the entire ruffled dress in that colour,” Zach says, glancing at Chris’ eye and then to the fabric swatches, pointing to one that’s the closest.
“Done,” Mel says, stepping out of Chris’ personal space and going back to her hemming.
“How was this an emergency?” Chris asks as Zach starts to drag him in a different direction.
“Fashion emergency. We’re in the middle of preparing the women’s collection for the spring summer season and I need everything to be so perfect people will actually cry during my runway show at fashion week.”
“Where we going?” Chris asks, trying to shrug Zach off him as they head into a large office, Zach closing the double doors behind them with a click.
“My office.” Zach turns to fix him with a dark, heated look that makes Chris visibly swallow. “Take your pants off.”
Chris folds his arms over his chest and raises an annoyed eyebrow which Zach finds himself liking all too much. “You can’t just bring me into your work for a fake emergency and then fuck me over your desk. I could have been busy, or at a go see.”
Zach regards him evenly. “Were you?”
Chris rubs the back of his neck. “Well, no, but I could have been and I will be.”
“Get over here,” Zach demands. Chris doesn’t move. “Come on.”
“I’m having lunch with someone in 15 minutes, I’ll see you later,” Chris says dismissively, turning around.
Zach moves forward and whips out his hand to grab Chris’ cardigan sleeve, feeling a little desperate. “Are you doing anything tonight?”
Chris looks at him through narrowed eyes. “Going to a bar with some friends.”
“Go to Zazu, I’ll get you plus five on the guest list.”
Chris takes a moment, his eyes glancing down to where Zach’s hand is curled around his forearm. Chris finally nods reluctantly. Zach gives him a small smile as Chris turns and leaves his office quickly.
Zach can’t remember the last time he’d actually gone out of his way to see a guy. Normally he just waited for them to come to him. He has to admit that working for it does make everything more fun.
…
Zach smiles pleasantly as he stands in the VIP area of the bar, surrounded by several other designers and creative directors, all of them buzzing about their own clothing line that they think will revolutionise fashion. Zach tries not to roll his eyes, knowing that very little nowadays is surprising or inventive when it comes to high fashion. Everything has been done before.
He looks over to the bar and spots Chris, his head thrown back as he laughs at one of his friends jokes. Zach catches Chris’ eye and waves him over. He watches Chris lean in and whisper something in his friend’s ear, which makes Zach look away as his chest clenches. He looks up a few seconds later and sees Chris approaching him with his easy, mischievous smile.
“This is Chris,” Zach announces to their group as he wraps a hand round the back of Chris’ neck. Chris slaps his hand away with an annoyed huff as Zach tries to run a hand through his hair.
There’s several ‘heys’ from around the circle, many of them eyeing Chris up knowingly as Zach wraps an arm around his waist.
“You a model, Chris?” Patrick, one of the other designers asks politely, sipping his drink as his gaze travels down Chris’ body and then back up.
“I am,” Chris says defensively, like Patrick meant it in a derogatory way.
“You’re pretty cute,” Patrick says appreciatively.
“Isn’t he just?” Zach says, like Chris is a piece of meat he’s showing off. Chris doesn’t seem to appreciate it as he tries to shrug Zach’s grip off him with a glare.
“Excuse me, I need the little boy’s room,” Chris says tightly, shooting an irritated look at Zach and moving away from the group rapidly. Zach follows him quickly, weaving in and out of people as he trails Chris all the way to the restroom.
Zach walks in and finds Chris bent appealingly over the sink, splashing his face with water.
“You alright?” Zach asks, nodding to another man as he leaves.
Chris glances at him out of the corner of his eye, exasperation etched over his gorgeous face. “Whatever. Next week you’ll have another male model by your side that you can show off in front of your friends like a new car. I get it. I may be new to this New York fashion lifestyle, but I know all about it and I’m not happy with being used like that.”
Zach feels a clench in his stomach that he’s not used to and it immediately makes him uncomfortable. He decides that being defensive and buttering Chris up will most likely get the best results. Read: sex in a bathroom stall.
“I’m sorry. I know what I was doing and it wasn’t on. Come on, how about we go make up in one of these stalls?” Zach says suggestively, his eyes sliding over to a spare stall.
Zach would never pretend he’s good with the emotional stuff, or speaking to someone like they’re actually meaningful to him, and it shows across Chris’ face as he gives him an incredulous look and Zach realises what he said was definitely not the right thing to say.
“You’re an idiot,” Chris says, shaking his head and putting his hands on his hips. “You haven’t even taken me on a date.”
“What? Since when do you want to date? I thought we could just have fun.”
“I’m not the type of guy to continually have casual sex without some kind of commitment. So, if you want to continue seeing me, you’ll have to date me properly.”
Zach snorts. “I don’t go on conventional dates.”
“Fine,” Chris says with a resigned nod. “It’s been nice knowing you and I’ll see you around.”
Zach feels a panicky feeling settle into his chest as he reaches for Chris as he passes and wraps a hand around his forearm. “Fine, we’ll go on a date.”
Chris narrows his eyes at him. “Do you want to date me?”
Zach swallows and nods. “You’re OK. Got more between your ears than most models I take home.”
“Thanks,” Chris says dryly, rolling his eyes. “I’m going back to my friends and you can go back to yours. You have my number.”
Zach pulls him toward him quickly, pushing his mouth against Chris’ like he simply can’t help himself. Chris pulls back a few seconds later, his lips appealingly swollen and his eyes shining blue as he gazes back at him.
“Give me a call,” Chris says, kissing Zach on the cheek and leaving.
Zach smiles to himself in the empty restroom.
…
“So, tell me about yourself.”
Chris outright laughs, his eyes lighting up as he fiddles with his fork. “You don’t do this a lot, do you?”
Zach shrugs, leaning back in his chair and staring around at the people in the restaurant. “I’ve never seen the point.”
Chris smirks. “Never? The point is so you get to know more about a person than their O-face.”
“I’m making an effort, aren’t I?” Chris shrugs noncommittally. “I’ve brought you to a place where the cheapest thing on the menu is sixty dollars and you’re bitching at me about my lack of date skills.”
“See the thing is, I don’t know if the only reason you’re dating me is because you actually want to get to know me or because you know the only way you’ll get me in bed again is if you take me on a date.”
Zach sighs before lifting his wine glass to his lips and taking a swig. “If I wanted to date a girl, I would. Stop acting like some frigid little princess considering you were the one who had no problem sleeping with me to get a job. And then sleeping with again after that.”
Chris nods his head. “True, but maybe I didn’t just sleep with you to get the job. Sure, it was a plus, but my primary reason was because you’re hot and I hadn’t got laid in forever.”
Zach raises a disbelieving eyebrow and Chris responds with a serious expression.
“I’m sleeping on my friend’s couch, I can’t exactly bring guys back,” Chris explains.
Zach scoffs and shakes his head. “I still don’t believe you. You’re a model, I can’t you see you having problems finding a guy who wants to take you back to his place.”
“I’m new in New York and my friends told me horror stories about weird guys that could kill me in their apartment with a chainsaw. Didn’t wanna take the risk to be honest.”
Zach smiles to himself, looking down at his glass, before looking up at Chris.
“By the way, wearing plaid to a date, Chris? Really?”
Chris shifts uncomfortably, fingering the soft cotton idly. “Err, it’s casual. Like I’m not trying too hard.”
“Or at all.”
“Well I didn’t realise you were taking me to a place that had a five hundred dollar bottle of champagne as a medium priced drink.”
“I said dress up,” Zach says, his lips quirking.
“So, how about you tell me about you?” Chris says bluntly, trying to change the topic off his choice of attire for the evening. “And I don’t mean the crap you tell Vogue journalists or doting fans who think your clothes are so like, oh my god amazing.” Chris says, finishing in a high pitched valley girl accent.
Zach takes another swig of his drink before placing it down. “I love clothes. I love men. The end.”
“Wow, you’re autobiography is going to be really shit. You know, this works both ways, you can ask me something as well.”
Zach smiles and it immediately causes a matching one on Chris’ face. “Fine. What were you like at school? Prom King?”
Chris shakes his head. “I was a loner with oversized glasses and acne.”
“Sure you were,” Zach says with an over the top incredulous eye roll.
“I was, seriously,” Chris says with a laugh.
Zach puts his hands up, not wanting to argue.
“So, you going to tell me anything about you? Anything real?” Chris asks, his eyes deep and searching as he stares across the table, willing Zach to open up a little.
“I have a dog,” Zach says blankly.
Chris lets out a long sigh and sits back. “I know that. God, you’re difficult.”
“Part of my mysterious charm,” Zach mutters. Chris just laughs freely; shaking his head like Zach is hopeless. “So, what did you do before you decided to put your ass into modelling?”
Chris raises an eyebrow. “I tried to be an actor but I was just another wannabe like most people in Hollywood. Couldn’t get any work, so that was that. Someone told me I should be a model because I have a certain look and then I came over to New York where most of the modelling work is. You know the rest.”
Zach nods, fiddling with the table cloth idly as they dip into silence. The waitress then appears, and they order.
“So, are you going to tell me how you became a famous fashion designer?” Chris asks, running his fingers down the stem of his wine glass.
“You can look it up on Wikipedia,” Zach says, trying to casually look at his watch and work out how long it’ll take for their food to come, then eat and leave.
“I don’t put out on the first date,” Chris says with a smirk, like he’s reading his mind.
“We’ll see.”
“I know, you answer three questions completely honestly, and I’ll have sex with you tonight.”
Zach raises an eyebrow, feeling a bundle of nerves settle deep in his stomach. He hates putting himself in vulnerable positions and giving Chris a free pass suddenly seems too unnerving, but he finds himself nodding anyway, his urge to get Chris naked overriding everything else.
Chris smiles, looking pleased Zach agreed. “Longest relationship you’ve ever had?”
Zach almost sighs in relief, expecting something worse. “A year with a guy in college.”
Chris nods. “What was his name?”
“That you’re second question?”
“No. It’s a sub-question. Do you want to see me naked tonight?” Chris bites back, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
Zach sighs. “Matt, we were friends and then we fell into a relationship for a while. We’re still friends now.”
Chris nods, looking vaguely satisfied. “Second question, tell me a secret.”
“Firstly, not a question, and secondly, we’re not thirteen and this isn’t a slumber party.”
Chris settles back in his seat and Zach frowns as Chris bites his lip and smiles. Suddenly Zach feels a shoeless foot press against his crotch under the table, rubbing firmly up and down. Zach slouches down in his chair, his eyes flicking shut for a split second.
“Fine, tell me about your dad, what was he like?” Chris asks pleasantly.
Zach frowns, his mind stuck between focusing on Chris’ question, and where his foot is causing him to harden rapidly. “Err, how did you know he’s dead?”
“I Googled you,” Chris smirks, his toes rubbing along the inseam up Zach’s inner thigh. Zach inhales sharply, his posture straightening for a moment. “Tell me.”
“I don’t remember much of it, but my mom loved him and they had a good relationship, oh fuck there,” Zach says, gripping the edge of the table as Chris continues rubbing his crotch with his foot, the zip of his pants digging painfully into his erection.
“You’re not giving me much of an answer really, are you?” Chris says sounding as put together as Zach isn’t.
“You’re molesting me under the, ah, table, it’s hard to give a, ah god, eloquent answer when you’re doing that.”
Chris smirks at him and suddenly his foot is gone and Zach’s left with an erection tenting his smart pants under the table. Zach wants to punch something as the frustration almost overwhelms him.
Zach looks down at his lap in annoyance. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s annoying when you don’t get what you want, isn’t it?”
Zach lets his most evil, shark like grin cross his face. “Wait till I go to town on your ass later.”
Chris’ smile falters at the look and he shifts nervously. “Before you get to my ass, you need to answer a third question. Why are you honestly here with me tonight?”
Zach shifts, reaching down to adjust his pants as subtly as he can. “I want to have sex with you again.” Chris’ eyes flicker with hurt and irritation as he looks down at the table cloth. “I also like you more than I like most people I sleep with.”
“I am bowled over with flattery right now, Zach,” Chris says dryly, downing his glass of wine in one go.
“Look, what more do you want? I like you enough to actually put in the effort to take you out on a date. That’s a big deal for me.”
Chris slows claps with an unimpressed look on his face. “Well, you definitely have an emotional wall to break down, I guess,” Chris says.
“Look, I don’t have layers that you need to rip away to get to my deep and emotional core, guys before you have tried and failed. This is who I am, my work is everything and guys provide me with sexual gratification, the end.”
“Whatever, you have layers. Someone who doesn’t know how to actually vocalize his real feelings and evades anything deep or meaningful suggests there’s an emotional wall there… on the outer layer. I want to get to your inner layers.”
“Say layer again and I might hit you,” Zach half-jokes as Chris’ sits forward.
“Layer,” Chris says slowly, over enunciating.
Zach leans over and playfully slaps his shoulder. Chris just smiles back at him.
Later, when Chris is laughing happily underneath him because Zach is bitching at him about his fat thighs as he rocks into him, Zach realises how completely and utterly screwed he is.
…
“How did I not know this room exists?” Chris asks from the doorway as he stands there in his boxer shorts, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. Zach looks up from where he’s fabric cutting on a large wooden table.
“Most people assume it’s a cupboard, not a whole other room, and I like it that way,” Zach says before leaning over and using a pen to mark the cutting lines.
“This where all those two thousand dollar dresses come from?” Chris asks, taking a sip of his coffee as he leans against the doorjamb, his hair ruffled and blue eyes still slightly glazed over from sleeping. Zach doesn’t want to tear his eyes away.
“Most of my major designs are done in the office, this is just my play area where I can materialise bursts of inspirations into actual designs.”
“Any of them make it into your collection?” Chris asks, his eyes on the rack across the room where three dresses and a sweater is hanging on a rail.
“Only a couple. Most of this stuff is made for me, not to wear, but because it gives me satisfaction. It allows me to put my moods and feelings into a creative outlet.”
Chris smiles at him, pleased. “That’s the deepest thing you’ve ever said to me. I think that’s one layer already gone.”
“Now you have your fix, leave me alone,” Zach says over his shoulder as he leans back down to his fabric.
He almost jerks away as he feels Chris’ hand slide down his back and warm air brush his ear. “Come back to bed.”
Zach used to be able to refuse a gorgeous guy with pretty eyes, but when he stands up straight and looks at Chris, he forgets what he was doing and puts a finger into the elastic waistband of Chris’ boxer shorts and pulls him out of the room.
…
“Can I crash at yours tonight? My friend’s got his girlfriend staying over and I don’t want to listen to that all night,” Chris says immediately as Zach picks up the phone, holding it to his ear as he buttons up his shirt with one hand.
“Crash at mine? I don’t think I’ve known you long enough to give you crashing rights in my apartment,” Zach says.
“Come on, Zach. I’ll do whatever you want in bed,” Chris suggests, his voice dipping to more of a low tone. “Seriously, anything you want, even really kinky stuff like calling you Daddy and using handcuffs.”
Zach rolls his eyes, already knowing he’ll give in considering Chris seems to be his one and only major weakness. He’s only been on one real date with the guy and slept with him a handful of times, but he’s already feeling attached to him like he’s known him a lot longer.
“You can crash, but I won’t be here,” Zach remarks, putting his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he opens his walk in closet and goes through his large collection of dinner jackets.
“Got a date?” Chris teases, his voice playful on the end of the phone like he’s known Zach years and not only a month.
“Fashion gala for some charity I can’t remember. I’m only going because I know a few people going who I need to talk business with.”
Chris is silent at the other end of the phone and Zach wonders if they’ve been cut off till he hears Chris inhale loudly. “Are you not getting a plus one?”
Zach’s jaw tightens, knowing that no way in hell can he take Chris as they’ll be cameras there and he really doesn’t want the media to start speculating about the guy on his arm. There are plenty of pictures of him leaving with guys, but arriving with one would definitely give the gossip columns something to talk about.
“No. Just come over and watch TV or something.”
Chris sighs at the other of the line. “Fine, leave me a spare key at the building’s front desk.”
Zach rolls his eyes, wondering when Chris became so cocky and cheeky, demanding things from Zach that he isn’t sure he wants to give.
“Fine, just don’t bring anyone else and you better be lying naked in my bed when I get back.”
“Deal,” Chris says and suddenly the line is dead on the other end. Zach throws his phone on the bed before shrugging on a jacket.
…
“Back late,” Chris murmurs as he sits up on the couch, the only light in the room coming from the mute television.
Zach walks in, pulling his jacket off and laying it over the back of the couch. Chris is sitting there in only his boxers, eyes bleary and hair messy.
“Open bar, made time go quicker.”
“You OK with me staying here?” Chris asks, looking and sounding oddly vulnerable.
“Sure. Just because you crash here for a night doesn’t mean anything,” Zach says almost to himself. “You’ve stayed over before.”
“Yeah, but this is a little different because it’s like a favour and everything.” Zach just shrugs, not wanting to think about it. Chris looks at the jacket he’s put over the couch and runs a finger along it. “Fancy.”
“A friend gave it to me,” Zach remarks casually.
“What friend?”
“Ralph Lauren,” Zach says with a small smirk as Chris’ eyes widen. “I’m going to grab some water.” Zach goes into the kitchen where Noah is sitting in his crate, looking tired and a little abandoned.
When Zach walks back out he immediately feels a shift in tension as Chris scowls at him from where he’s still sitting on the couch.
“What?”
“Five numbers,” Chris says out of no where, before bringing his hands above the couch and into Zach’s eye line, his fingers flicking between five slips of paper that he clearly found in Zach’s jacket.
Zach rolls his eyes, trying to remember when he agreed to getting married. It annoys him more than he wants to portray because the idea of Chris making him feel guilty for getting guys numbers makes no sense considering he’s done the guy a favour by giving him somewhere to stay for the night, but it doesn’t mean they’re suddenly in an exclusive relationship.
“Who cares? I’m going to bed. I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow,” Zach says dismissively, not having the energy to argue.
Chris’ eyes soften, like he’s realised it’s not worth a fight, and pushes himself up, his tight boxers making it difficult for Zach to look anywhere else.
When they fall into bed it’s a battle between Chris trying to get Zach’s clothes off as quickly as possible and Zach trying to stop him from throwing them on the floor so they don’t get crumpled. Chris laughs against his bellybutton as Zach folds his dress shirt carefully. Zach gives his head a playful swat before Chris crawls up to seal their mouths together.
“Ow,” Chris moans as Zach accidentally shoves his knee into his stomach. Zach mumbles an apology, finding himself out of his comfort zone when having sex with Chris because it’s always just on the right side of awkward and they both spend an inordinate amount of time trying to reposition so they’re not uncomfortable. Chris laughs loudly when Zach gets cramp and has to change position rapidly.
They shove their tongues into each other’s mouths, Zach reaching down to wrap them both in his fist and stroke firmly as Chris releases a gasp into his mouth from underneath him.
He strokes them quickly, Zach biting his lip so he doesn’t make noise, even though he knows he wouldn’t be heard considering how vocal Chris is with his loud moans and whimpers and grunts, all of them shooting Zach closer to his orgasm. Chris wraps an arm around Zach’s neck and holds on, leaning up to kiss once every now and again.
It doesn’t take long before Chris shudders underneath him, his eyes squeezing shut as Zach feels Chris come in wet stripes across his stomach messily. Zach looks down as Chris opens his eyes. The emotions he can read in those impossibly blue eyes are like a punch to his chest and he has to shut his eyes, protecting himself. It only takes a few more strokes before he’s gone.
He forgets to ask for his spare key back.
…
Four nights later and Zach walks into his apartment after a day at work followed by a late evening meal with several colleagues. He’s so tired that he can barely keep his eyes open as he takes off his clothes on the way to the bedroom like a zombie. He gets into the dark bedroom and can make out the familiar lump of Chris on one side of the bed, hogging all the covers. There’s something familiar and comforting about coming home to see Chris in his bed and he feels a warm content feeling wrap around his chest.
Zach climbs under the covers in a daze and pushes his chest up against Chris’ warm back and throws an arm around his body. Chris lets out an appreciative hum and puts his hand over Zach’s.
When Zach wakes up the next morning he suddenly comes to the realisation it’s the first time he’s ever let someone sleep over without having sex since his relationship in college. It makes him feel immediately uncomfortable and unsettled, like something is wrong, but when Chris turns to him with bed head and a droopy smile, Zach suddenly doesn’t care.
Part 3