Unravelling Zeke - Calm (1/2)
Banner by aliensouldream
Title: Calm
Author: Gabi
Fandom: The Faculty
Pairing: Z/C
Rating: R (cannabis use, talk of sex)
Summary: It's all about the cool points.
Disclaimer: I own neither the rights nor the characters. If I did, Mr Tyler would be sporting a lovely new collar. I make no money. I have no money. Don’t sue me.
Note: beta’d by Aliensouldream. Many thanks xx
Previous
Epiphany/ Party & Boring/ Plans/ Casa Del Tyler/ The Suit/ Mom/ Hate You/ Meet the Connors/ New York - Friday/ New York - Saturday/ New York - Sunday/ Texting/ The Deal/ Complex/ Snow/ Pictures of You/ A Connor Christmas/ Missed This/ Photogenic/ New Years Eve/ Trust/ Saint Valentine/ Spring Break
NOTE: This takes place two weeks after Spring Break. So technically one week after the end of actual Spring break.
Part 1 leads to 2.
The bleak, slate grey sky lashed slicing rain at a forty five degree angle in the deserted school yard. The flooded asphalt churned with thick bouncing raindrops. Through the dense driving rain Casey could just about see that Zeke wasn’t hiding out for a smoke in his car. He pondered his options for a moment before ducking out of the doorway and heading to search the cafeteria.
Well fuck. The place was heaving with milling bodies in a loud chattering, monkey house of disorganised tables and chairs. It seemed the entire school was seeking refuge in here. How he was supposed to find Zeke in this mess was beyond him. Or perhaps it wasn’t. He could ask. He dug his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. There was an immediate text message waiting for him.
Caf by wndw 4 tbls dwn
He peered into the throng of students from the door. There, under the run of windows sat Zeke. On a table full of jocks. Brilliant... The guy can’t be civil to a kid in the halls, but he can still joke with the pricks on the team? What the fuck was the deal with him lately?
He really didn’t want to face Zeke’s company. Gabe, Meat and Daniel. Del had hooked up with Dan as soon as she’d dumped Casey. Mercifully Casey couldn’t remember a time that Dan had ever really spoken to him, let alone bullied him. He couldn’t say the same for the other two. Even if they had cooled off the violence since the invasion, they weren’t exactly buddies. He sent a text back.
You look busy
His phone rang again.
Get in here
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. As he wove between crowded tables he saw Zeke scan his surroundings and kick a sophomore’s chair. The boy cursed and turned, saw Zeke nod towards the door then grabbed his tray and wordlessly left. If no one punched Zeke soon he’d have to do it himself. “Grab a pew.” Zeke offered, leaning back casually in his own seat to sip a coffee.
Casey grabbed the recently vacated chair and perched on the end of the table between Zeke and Dan, who was opposite. “Thanks.” he said dryly.
“The fuck you want, Connor?”
Zeke slowly turned to Meat, who sat next to Dan. “I invited him.” The look said more than his flat tone.
Meat cast a glance at Gabe and slumped back in his seat silently.
“Well fuck me for asking…” Gabe broke in, “but why?”
“He gives good head.” Zeke quipped sarcastically. “Cos we’re fucking friends, moron.”
“Sor-ree” Gabe shot back.
Meat folded his arms. “Why’d you even bother with him?”
“I’m sat right here!” Casey snapped.
“You ever spoken to him?” Zeke asked with a scowl. “Not at him… To him. Or is intelligent conversation beyond your mental capacity?”
Gabe smirked. “Leave him alone Zeke, he don’t even know what that means.”
“Fuck that, man, I’m curious.” He kept his focus on Meat. “See, I reckon you hit him cos you’re threatened by him.”
Meat gaped at him then snarled. “That pip-squeak? I’d crush him like a fucking bug.”
“Right here.” Casey repeated.
“Exactly.” Zeke answered. “He’s half your fucking size, dipshit. You think it makes you the tough guy? Think it impresses anyone? It’s fucking pathetic. The only sane explanation is that you’re threatened by his intellect. You’re inferior… You can’t outsmart the kid so you lash out with the only weapon you have… Dumb strength.”
Meat was still snarling but he looked decidedly wounded. “Fuck you.”
“Intelligent retort. I outsmart you too, ya gonna hit me now?”
“Zeke.” Gabe whined.
“Might.” he muttered.
Zeke leant over the table. “Double… fuckin’… dare ya.” He relaxed back when Meat wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I can get my point across with intelligent conversation. I’d attempt it with you, but I’m afraid intellect would be about as lost on you as your penis.”
Everyone but Meat laughed. Casey managed to quell his laugh quickly. “Zeke… Behave.”
Zeke flashed him a smirk but continued. “S’up Meat? Didn’t find that funny? Everyone else did… Not nice being bullied, is it? Humiliated in front of your friends.”
“Zeke!” Casey repeated a little firmer. “Stop it now, you’ve made your point.”
Zeke slowly turned to face him. “And did he stop when he’d made his point?”
“Yeah, about seven months ago in case you’d forgotten, so just leave him alone.”
Zeke’s level expression didn’t change. Gabe didn’t get the hint. “Why you being so fucking defensive all of a sudden, anyway?”
Zeke faced him. “And why’d you hit him, Gabe?”
“What?” he squeaked, caught off guard.
Zeke raised his eyebrows. “Why’d you hit him?”
“Guys…” Dan interjected. “Can we all just agree to leave Casey alone and find something else to discuss?”
“Oh, now ya jump in.” Gabe retorted. “Nice of you to join us.”
“Well if you’d left him the fuck alone we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Dan replied.
Meat nudged him sharply. “Who’s side are you on?”
Zeke sat back with a slight smile, watching them argue amongst themselves. Casey shook his head. Sly bastard.
“There aren’t any sides! It’s common fucking sense.” Dan argued, “What’s the kid ever done to you?”
Gabe answered for him. “Shut up Danny! You just feel guilty cos you’re fucking Del.”
Meat laughed that big donkey laugh of his. Casey laughed louder. It stopped Meat in his tracks. Casey was still chuckling when he turned to Dan. “Seriously…” he grinned, “Don’t feel bad on my account. You’re welcome to her.”
Dan smiled. “You sure? Felt kinda shitty about it.”
“Seriously. Keep her. So not my type. I’m much better off now.”
“With your fist.” Meat grinned.
“With his girlfriend.” Zeke corrected.
All focus turned to Casey. Gabe was the first to ask. “You got a girlfriend, Connor?”
“Yeah.” He allowed himself a smile. This was going to be fucking interesting to say the least.
“Who is it?”
“You don’t know her. She’s from out of town.”
“Convenient.” Gabe mocked. “Where abouts?”
“Dover.” Zeke answered for him.
“Dover?” Gabe puzzled. “That’s fucking miles away.”
Zeke pulled his face. “It’s thirty minutes by car.”
“Fuck off!” Gabe suddenly got the gist. “Well, yeah… the way you drive.” He leant past Zeke across the table with interest. “So how long you been with her?”
Casey couldn’t decide if this new piece of information had caught enough of Gabe’s attention to make him forget he was a prick or whether he was fishing for something he could use against him later. “Right after I split with Del.” he risked.
“Same night.” Zeke added matter-of-factly. “Took him to a party to cheer him up. He got talking to some chick and he’s been with her since.”
“Same night?” Gabe asked, like it was the scandal of the year. He eyed Casey. “Does Del know that?”
“Del doesn’t need to know. But seriously… I care. She was in” he motioned to Dan, “his bed quick enough.”
He noticed a look between Dan and Zeke but didn’t get time to read anything into it. “So come on…” Gabe said eagerly. “Details. What’s her name? Is she hot?”
Casey rolled his eyes as if he was bored of the conversation when in reality this was kinda fun. “Lucy. And she’s stunning.”
Gabe shot a questioning look to Zeke for confirmation. He nodded, all serious. “She’s fuckin’ pretty, man.”
Casey couldn’t hide his smile but it dropped at Gabe’s next question to Zeke. “Then why’s she with him? As opposed to you, I mean.” he added quickly.
“Cos I’m fuckin’ her cousin.”
“Serious? You’re fucking cousins?”
“Yep.” Zeke stated with a cocky smile.
Gabe grinned at Casey. “What’s his chick like?”
Casey smirked. “She’s a fucking animal… They’re like rabid howler monkeys when they get going.”
Gabe looked impressed. Zeke looked smug.
Meat’s slow brain finally thought up a question. “So you done it yet?”
Casey burst out laughing. “Done it? How old are you? Yeah, my sex life’s never been better. Thank you.”
“Sex life…” he repeated suspiciously.
“Yes, Meat. It’s what happens when you hit puberty.”
Everyone but Meat laughed. Zeke hiding his giggles behind his fist.
Gabe straightened his expression. “So what’ve you done?”
Casey made the effort to look bored instead of guarded. “Plenty.”
“You eaten her out yet?”
Casey paused for a second then looked amused. “We’ve been together nearly six months…” He leant towards Gabe with absolute confidence… and a touch of mockery. “That the most adventurous thing you can think of?”
Dan snickered. Zeke just smirked.
Gabe’s jaw clenched. “Fucked her in the ass yet?”
He obviously wasn’t expecting Casey to grin back. “As she’s not here to hit me for disclosing it… Yes.”
“Really?” Meat asked in shock. Casey rolled his eyes. Meat was obviously thinking. “What’s it like?”
“Ask your dad.” Casey shot back with a sweet smile. “He might even demonstrate.”
Everyone erupted but Meat. “This is why I hit you.” he snapped.
“Ahh, let it go.” Gabe cut in. “You’re a funny fucker, Connor. You’re alright.”
Casey held his mask of confidence. Zeke stopped laughing long enough to speak breathlessly. “See… this is why we’re friends. Fuckin’… makes me piss, man.”
“Only asked a fuckin’ question.” Meat sulked.
“Come on.” Zeke nodded to Casey. “I need a smoke.” He stood and leant over the table to Meat, towering over him. “As for anal? Way tighter than pussy, man. And as for any thoughts of revenge rattling round that empty space? I wouldn’t risk it.” He straightened and relaxed. “Later guys.”
They called their goodbyes as Casey followed Zeke through the parting crowd. That could have gone a lot worse. If he’d have declared he had a girlfriend alone they would have called him a liar, but Zeke had said it so they had to believe him. Zeke had also picked up on the anal topic, leaving them no room to call Casey a fag without incurring Zeke’s wrath.
By the way the crowd opened before them, no one, not even Meat was willing to risk that.
~*~
They were drenched when they got into Biology, both rubbing the excess water from their hair with already wet sleeves. Several students were at their benches, preparing for the lesson. Stokes sat at the back, two benches behind Casey’s; absorbed in a novel. Zeke sat and leant against the wall, turning his head to her. “Psst.”
She smiled before she looked up then eyed them both in turn and shook her head. “Been out for a smoke?”
“Addiction’s an illness.” Zeke replied with a cheeky smile.
“Thanks. I’ll remember that whenever I’m tempted to start.” She raised her eyebrows at Casey. “And what’s your excuse?”
Same one, Casey thought. “It was him or Meat.”
“Ahh.” she nodded.
“So, girl…” Zeke started, “Got any plans for the weekend?”
“Yeah,” she grumbled. “Stan’s uncle over in Cleveland is throwing some huge fiftieth. We leave in the morning.”
“Sounds thrilling.” Zeke deadpanned.
“Oh, I’m sure it will be. Why’d you ask?”
“Just bored. Need to get out of here, man. Go fuckin’ do somethin’, ya know?”
“Ask me again next week.” she offered.
Zeke glanced at the other students drifting in then nodded. “K.”
When Steve and Dave noisily plonked onto the bench behind he turned back round and rested his chin on his hands. Casey pulled his book from his bag and pondered. It was good that Zeke wanted to hang with Stan n’ Stokes this weekend, it had been ages since they’d done anything together, but it niggled him that Zeke had said he’d needed to get out of Herrington. They’d spent almost all week out of town during Spring Break and it was only Friday.
Zeke had lost much of the tension on their road trip but there was still something there. After their run in with Sammi and Matt, they’d done their usual ritual of watch a movie, then find a diner to sit, eat and discuss the film. Zeke seemed his old self again allowing Casey a breath of relief.
But at the motel they’d found, the sex had been hard and possessive. It wasn’t a quick cold fuck though. Zeke had definitely made the effort to show Casey just how much he loved him and just how desired he was, but there was still something off about it. He was too possessive and too insistent.
He’d put it down to Zeke reaffirming his territory. Stamping his mark on Casey’s flesh after their brush with Sammi. The hickey inside his thigh was still fading and it still hurt when Casey pressed his fingers against it whilst jerking off last night. In fact he was getting a semi just thinking about it, now.
They’d had sex of some description or other, morning and night almost every day of Spring Break. Some nights they didn’t even make it out of the car before buttons were undone and zips were unzipped. Looking back, Casey found it odd that Zeke had initiated every single session with a skill that stole Casey’s ability to resist. Not that he would have, mind you.
It occurred to Casey that Zeke’s libido was peaking with his inward aggression. The silent seething aggression that he continued to bleed over everyone but Casey. It was almost as if he was in heat. And it was getting worse.
And there was this other thing. They had this little fun deal where Casey would say he loved him and Zeke would cockily reply “I know.” But then Zeke would say it and it’d be Casey’s turn to get cocky. But lately when Zeke said he loved him, snuggled in bed, or staring right into his soul, there was so much emotion behind it that when Casey replied “I know.” it came out as reassurance. I know you love me. I believe you. The look in Zeke’s eyes told him that it was the exact response he needed.
Casey could not for the life of him figure out what the fuck was going on in Zeke’s head. He never really could filter through the white noise and follow the strangled routes that made Zeke so unpredictable but this was something else. The closest he’d got to getting Zeke to admit there was something wrong was the Thursday before they came home. Snuggled under the sheets in a hotel, being openly adored and memorised, he’d plucked up the courage to softly ask again. “What is it, baby? What’s wrong?”
Zeke had pulled him closer and smiled. “Right now? Everything’s perfect.” Then he’d kissed him. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was the closest Zeke had come to any kind of admittance that at other times, there may be something wrong. Casey hadn’t asked since. There’s only so many times you can bang your head against a brick wall without doing permanent damage.
But he was a man with a plan. Zeke wanted out of Herrington for the weekend and Casey knew of a film playing at an independent cinema in Columbus that they could go watch on Saturday. It would help lift that cloud that had settled back over Zeke as soon as they’d hit the border on the drive home. He’d ask him later, right now Mr Harrison was walking up the central aisle handing back last term’s test papers.
Casey smiled at his paper. Ninety three percent. Get in! He peeked to see what score Zeke got and grinned when the boy scowled at his ninety eight percent and flipped the paper to find were he’d lost those two points.
Fucking perfectionist!
~*~
The driving rain had settled into light drizzle by the time they headed to the car after the final bell. They’d only been travelling a few minutes when it stopped completely. “Fuckin typical.” Zeke muttered, peering at the sky.
Casey smiled as Zeke flicked off the wipers then lit a smoke. He must have been distracted because he then took a left instead of right. “Um… Where are you going?” he quizzed.
“Errand.”
“Huh? What errand?”
“Gotta see Markus. Won’t take long.”
“Markus… Your dealer…”
“Yep.”
“What’d you do?” he asked sarcastically. “Lose your stash?”
Zeke smiled. “Nope.”
“Wait… You fucking smoked it already?”
“Yup.”
“Fuck, Zeke!”
“Look, man. You’re forever fucking nagging at me to chill the fuck out. It chills me the fuck out. So you can stop whining’, get stoned and we both win. Okay?”
“Whatever.” Casey stared out of the window at the passing streets. It occurred to him they weren’t strictly in Herrington anymore. They were in the district they dumped all the welfare cases and down n’ outs. “The projects…” he sighed. “Your dealer lives in the ghetto… That fills me with confidence.”
“Rent’s low and business is good.” Zeke stated. “Just sit in the car and wait for me, ok? I’ll be quick.”
“You’re leaving me outside? Alone?”
“Perfectly safe, man. No fucker touches my car.” Zeke turned at Casey’s silence. “You can come in if you promise to behave.”
“I don’t know which is safer.” he admitted quietly.
Zeke smiled at the road. “Just don’t judge him ‘til you’ve spoken to him, ok? Not all dealers are Hollywood gangsters. He looks the part but he’s a good guy.”
He was a drug dealer… and that meant Casey was pretty fucking dubious about that last statement. But it was go in under the protection of his very aggressive, protective boyfriend or sit outside on his lonesome with potential muggers and car thieves. And now he thought about it, there could be some truth to it. After all, hadn’t Zeke done his fair share of dealing at school? He’d been a nefarious shit on occasion but he’d never really been a bad guy. Perhaps this Markus wasn’t so bad either. “I’ll come in.”
Zeke flashed him a smile as he screeched into the lot of a low rise building and spun the car into an empty space. Zeke was first out and was already heading to the building when Casey shut the car door. “You not gonna lock it?”
“Told ya, Case.” he said without looking back. “No fucker touches my car.”
Well okay then… He raced to catch up as Zeke hit a button on the pad. A voice crackled over the intercom. “Who’s your friend?”
“My fuckin’ parole officer, man. Open up.”
Miraculously, the door buzzed. Zeke flicked his butt, pulled the door open and signalled him inside. He wasn’t quite sure what he expected but the corridor didn’t smell particularly unpleasant and the walls seemed clean enough, painted in white and institution green. Zeke headed for the concrete stairs “C’mon man, one flight.” He took them two at a time.
They passed two doors on the landing when Zeke stopped and rapped on the door. Casey wasn’t sure, but it sounded like a code knock. “Step back.” he warned. Casey nervously did as he was told, expecting to be faced with a shotgun.
Part 2
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