It honestly doesn't occur to Anthony that things will be awkward between him and Zac until Zac says, his first day back in Raleigh, "So, want to do dinner at your place or something?"

Then Anthony remembers the way they made out, and how into it he was, and how Zac never acknowledged it after that, because he's kind of a freak. "Uh, sure."

"Cool," Zac says, smiling a little. He goes back to getting dressed.

Back when Zac was Dalpe and Anthony flirted with him just because it was funny, he used to wonder if Zac - Dalpe - was just dumb or what. He's come to realize since then that Zac's plenty smart. He's just also kind of clueless. Which means Anthony has no idea if this is dinner, or dinner.

He cleans up a little, just in case. Changes his sheets, wipes down the counters. He's not going to try to cook, because he's not insane enough to think Zac coming over will magically give him cooking powers or something. Instead he sets up the Wii and waits.

Zac comes over around six. He's wearing a leather jacket and his hair looks really dumb. "Hey, man," Anthony says. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Zac says. "Brenter give you that?" He nods at the camo jacket hanging off the closet door.

"Yeah," Anthony says.

"Cool," Zac says. "You'd probably look good in it." He wanders into the kitchen.

Anthony blinks. It would be awesome if he knew what Zac meant by that, but realistically, it's Zac. He's probably not even just flirting.

"I thought I'd order food," Anthony says, following him. He watches Zac get a beer out of the fridge. He probably should've offered to bring him one, or something. It's too late now, though.

"What kind?" Zac says.

"Uh, pitas maybe?"

Zac nods. "I'd be good with that."

Anthony jams his hands in his pockets. "Awesome. Yeah. So, uh. Mario?"

They sit on the couch and play Mario. Anthony would way, way rather make out, because that time they made out right before Zac left - that was awesome. Anthony wants to do it again, for longer this time. But Zac's focusing on the TV, and so Anthony does too. Maybe it was a one-time thing and Zac's not gay for Anthony the way Anthony's gay for Zac.

That would suck.

Their food arrives and they eat it on the couch. Zac's still not really looking at Anthony. Anthony's got a huge mouthful of Greek chicken pita when Zac says, "Hey, so, did you want to do sex stuff tonight?"

He almost chokes. He manages to swallow at the last minute, then says, "Sex stuff? Seriously?"

Zac shrugs. He's still not looking at Anthony. "Yeah, like, I could blow you? I practiced in Charlotte."

Anthony can barely believe what he's hearing. "You practiced."

"Just a few times. To make sure I could do it."

Okay, he needs to not get jealous. That's insane. "With who?"

"I…around," Zac says.

There's a story there that Anthony really, really doesn't want to hear. "Okay," he says. "Okay. That's fine, yeah."

"I just really wanted to sleep with you," Zac says. He sounds like he doesn't care, but Anthony knows him well enough to hear the lie behind that pretty well. "You did, huh?"

"Yep," Zac says.

"We can do that."

"Cool," Zac says. "I want to finish this game first, though."

That's fine. Anthony's not going to die of blue balls or anything. "Sure," Anthony says, turning back to the video game.

He can totally wait.

After about an hour, though, Zac says, "I can't decide if I want another beer or to make out."

"Are you serious?" Anthony says.

"Yes?"

"Then you haven't been fucking the right people," Anthony says, and pulls Zac in close to him.

Zac makes a very small, surprised noise when Anthony kisses him. Anthony takes it as encouragement, pulling Zac closer so he's leaning forward against Anthony. He pulls away to say, "Good, right?"

"I guess," Zac says.

Anthony stares. "You guess."

"I mean, I'm waiting for something to actually happen." Zac blinks at him.

Anthony's about to say something indignant when he realizes that Zac's fucking with him. "You fucking asshole," he says.

Zac smiles a little. "You're funny."

"Oh, sure," Anthony says. "Go fuck yourself." He kisses Zac again.

Zac kisses back more this time, way more into it. Anthony pulls him up against him, hard, and presses a hand against the small of Zac's back.

"Let's go to a bed," Zac says after a few minutes. Anthony's pretty fucking turned on, enough that he doesn't even think before he nods.

Zac adds casually as they're going back into Anthony's room, "This way I can blow you, too."

Fuck. "You could've blown me on the couch," Anthony says, as blasé as he can.

"It'll be better in the bed," Zac says, like he's thought it over.

Anthony's so into him. So, so stupidly into him. "Right," he says. "Obviously."

"So," Zac says, turning and going into Anthony's bedroom. He turns around and takes his shirt off.

"I don't do this," he says. "I mean, much. So you might have to tell me what you want me to do."

Because that's not ridiculously hot or anything. "Yeah, uh, yeah," Anthony says. "I can definitely do that."

"Okay," Zac says, and gets on the bed.

Anthony lies down over him, kissing him. Zac kisses back, a little more eagerly this time. It's good. Really fucking good, actually, because it means Zac's definitely into this, and Anthony's hardly ever sure about Zac.

"Come on," Zac says. "Roll over. I want to -"

"Yeah," Anthony says, and leans back. "Yeah, okay." He rolls over, putting his hands behind his head.

Zac looks at him and rolls his eyes. "You look like a dick," he says, but he leans down and kisses Anthony, so Anthony doesn't object. Especially not when Zac kisses his way down Anthony's body, pressing a kiss into his hip before licking the head of his dick.

"Oh Jesus," Anthony says.

"It helps if you hold still," Zac says, and spits on his hand, wrapping it around the base of Anthony's dick. He sucks the head into his mouth, no problem, and runs his tongue over Anthony, until Anthony's eyes are rolling up in the back of his head. "Jesus," he says again, reaching down and tugging Zac's hair a little. Zac bobs his head, and Anthony takes that as encouragement, so he tugs a little harder.

Zac's not some stunner or anything, but it's still pretty hot to watch the way his lips get redder and shinier as he sucks Anthony off. He cups Anthony's balls, jerks him off and sucks him harder, and Anthony groans and just tries to stick with it.

Before he comes, though, Zac pulls off. "You could fuck me," he says, like he's suggesting they get Chinese for dinner.

Anthony's eyes are practically crossing with how much he wants to come. He gasps for air, then pulls Zac down to kiss him. "Yeah," he says. "Okay. Jesus."

Zac smiles one of his narrow, clueless-looking smiles. "Good."

They just make out for awhile, and Anthony's hard-on gets a little less urgent. He still wants this, though, especially when Zac starts making a little noise, rubbing himself against Anthony's leg. Anthony brushes his thumb over Zac's ribs, down to his hip. He doesn't quite touch Zac's dick, but he does move them so he's on top of Zac again.

"I've got stuff," he says, kissing the side of Zac's jaw. "Hang on." He kisses Zac and then gets up, grabbing the lube from his dresser drawer.

He hasn't done this for awhile, but it's easy enough to get started again. He sucks Zac a little, just a little, before slicking up a finger and sliding it into Zac. Zac doesn't make any noise, just opens his legs a little wider and thrusts his hips up.

"You know you've got to tell me if this hurts, right?" Anthony says.

Zac nods. He's biting his lower lip and staring at the ceiling, and Anthony can't help but kiss him, thrusting his finger in a little harder.

"You can do two," Zac says quietly.

Anthony could just do it. He could. But he's got this selfish impulse to actually hear what Zac wants, so he says, "You need to tell me what you want first."

"I like this." Zac says it with calm certainty. "Trust me, I like this."

"Good," Anthony says, thrusting slowly.

Zac grabs his shoulder. Anthony blinks, because he's got a hardcore grip of iron going on. "So add another finger," he says, focusing on Anthony with the kind of intensity and presence that Anthony's never seen from him before.

So Anthony obeys. He fucks Zac slowly, watching him get more and more into it, biting his lip and breathing raggedly. Finally, Zac says, "Okay, can you - in me. Please."

The "please" just about kills him. He nods and pulls away, putting on a condom and slicking himself up. "Ready?"

Zac frowns a little. "I will be when you actually do it."

"Good," Anthony says, and presses into him.

Zac barely makes any noise. For awhile he stares at the ceiling, and then he gasps and arches his back, pressing up against Anthony. Anthony thrusts then, leaning down to kiss him but mostly just trying to hold on. Zac's running his hands all over Anthony, looking up at him, and Anthony has to fuck him harder then, running his hands up and down Zac's arms and thinking maybe next time he can hold him down.

"Fuck," Zac says. "My dick, come on, just -"

Anthony gets a hand on him before he finishes his sentence, and Zac's breath stutters and he thrusts his hips up even harder. "Yeah," he says. "Zac, you better hurry up, I'm -"

"It's fine," Zac says.

"It's not fine."

"Okay, okay, it's good, it's good, I swear." Zac stiffens and his jaw goes slack, and then he's coming all over his own stomach and Anthony's hand.

It's not enough to push Anthony over, but it's close. He fucks Zac for another minute, dropping his head so he can press Zac into the mattress and kiss his neck, and then he comes with Zac's hand on his ass, urging him on.

"Jesus," he says, breathing hard.

"You're kind of heavy," Zac says.

Anthony rolls his eyes, but he gets off Zac. As soon as he does, Zac heaves a sigh. He reaches out, though, and touches hands with Anthony.

It's some mushy shit, and Anthony's kind of into it. "So," he says, staring at the ceiling.

"So," Zac says.

"If you're up for awhile we could do that again."

"True." Zac sighs. "I kind of want to, I think?"

It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Anthony's skills, but it's enough. "Awesome," he says. "I'm going to fall asleep. Don't leave."

The last thing he hears is Zac's quiet, "Okay."