The Firemen Who Turned Me Ch. 3

The Fire That Turned Me: Chapter 3 - Looking for a Roommate

ZACK

"Hey, Zack."

Kyle was parked in front of the locker he knew I preferred.

"Hi, Kyle. Lose that smirk." I had to smile myself, though.

"So..." his voice dropped, too casual for how smug he looked, "how was it?"

"Great." My voice came out as quickly as the heat ran to my ears. I glanced around, trying to hide the grin pulling at my face. "Would you stop, please?"

Kyle leaned in a fraction, eyes bright. "Just to be sure..."

I'd guess that means no...

"... are you together with Gina now, or do you think I can go there with Ross sometime?"

"No, we're not. I think it was casual for all of us." I opened the locker and took off my shoes. I would normally say something along the lines that she's not there to entertain different guests each night, but I stopped myself, remembering the way she and Ross stared each other down. I don't know. She's an adult and can probably take care of herself. And she didn't seem the type who has a problem saying no.

The silence wasn't a good sign. When I looked at Kyle, his eyebrows were high and that smug grin sharpened. "All of you?"

Crap... I didn't even realize someone could pick up on that. "Just drop it."

Kyle leaned in. "Are you now seriously blushing, Zack?"

"What? No. Just..." I scoffed, raking a hand through my hair and pretending the inside of my locker was fascinating.

Stan tilted his head our way. "What are you guys even on about?"

Where's that shirt? "Nothing." I dug through my bag and, only when I grabbed the stretchy fabric, realized I'd have to take off the one hiding all those hickeys on my back and pecs... Crap!

Gracious admission... I counted down from 10 and tried to make peace with Kyle being on me the rest of the morning.

By the silence around me as the shirts changed places, I knew my face was red like a public holiday on a weekly calendar.

Gracious admission--

"How many of you did that 'nothing' together?"

I peeked. Ross crossed his arms, cocky and amused, leaning on his locker.

"A gentleman doesn't brag about things like that." I winked at him, graciously.

"Didn't Jordan say she has a roommate?" Kyle's eyes went huge, his grin stretching even more. "Dude! You can't do that to me! Come ooon. I haven't been with a girl in years! Give me some details!"

Ross raised his brow at his fiancé. "Have you been missing something?"

I actually snorted because Kyle's expression right then was pure panic disguised as confidence, and it was honestly impressive.

"No, babe, but I haven't been with any in years." Kyle shrugged, not selling the cool no matter how he tried. And the look those two shared... Yeah. We all knew exactly where this was heading.

I rolled my eyes and used the tension to my advantage. I shoved my stuff into the locker and slammed it shut. "I'll be down. Enjoy yourself, guys."

"Yeah, I think you all should go if you don't want to join," Ross said, not even pretending to be subtle.

"Ross, this is a public locker room. Are you two seriously going to do it here again?" Chad shut his locker with a frown.

But Kyle and Ross were staring at each other so hard there was no question about it.

"One of these days, Fred is going to ban you from here." Stan banged his locker shut as well and smirked. "Let's go."

We left them there, and I was pretty glad I'd dodged that discussion, especially with those two... Though... Part of me kept flicking my gaze back to the door, with this weird, new itch. I'd never cared much about who people were into. It's just... people. I'd just never been interested in the mechanics of ... two guys, specifically.

And now, apparently, my brain decided it wished to be a fly on the wall in that very room.

Do they go rough? They sure act like it. And which one's even the top? I'd have said Ross if I had to guess, but Kyle sometimes walked around with this dominant vibe that made me less sure than I wanted to be.

.

Stan leaned toward me as we warmed up. "How many of you were there?"

"Stan..." I chuckled and shook my head.

"Come on, so you had a threesome?"

"Four."

Those bright green eyes literally popped! "Really?"

"Yeah."

He actually tried to giggle discreetly as Chad looked torn between jealousy and judgment. "Like how?"

"Some guy that her roommate brought with her was there when we came."

"Really?" Stan's vocabulary obviously went south.

I had to grin. "Yeah."

"And you two... I mean that guy... did you--?"

"Oh, just stop it, Chad." I played it like it wasn't even a valid question. I like these guys, and they're my closest friends, but I just wasn't ready to tell either of them I'd been wrecked by one handsome hunk with the most beautiful hazel eyes. Nor that my ass was still kind of sore, and every time that reminded me of those hungry eyes and the way he spoke to me, I got stupidly horny. Yeah. And the last thing I'd tell them was that I spent the weekend jerking off to that image.

"Right..."

Stan's eyes were almost dreamy by now. "So, was it good?"

I smiled and started stretching my neck. "It was great."

.

We finished the warm-up and moved under the boulder. Chad soon went up, and I was watching which line I'd try today when I heard Stan sidle up beside me.

"Will you see her again?"

"No. Or I don't think so. I don't think I want to have a girlfriend right now. I need some time for myself."

"Zack... it's been more than five months, and you haven't really been sleeping together with Lauren for the past year or so. I think it's more than fine to see other people."

"No." I kept my eyes on the holds. "But thanks for your concern. You go look for someone if you want."

"I'm happy as I am, thank you."

I sat and put on my shoes, yanking the straps tighter than necessary, not even trying to add anything to that.

"Are you going with us after work?" Chad jumped down in front of us.

"Nah, thanks. I need to run. That guy I was emailing with last week is coming to look at the room."

"Right. Just make sure he isn't some creep." This sweet, stern man. Chad was always worried for someone.

"Yeah, right, like he would wear a sign or something."

"No, Zack. Just... with your trusting approach, you should have those people vetted."

"Oh, how nice of you, Chad. Do you want to go with me?"

"No. I need to meet with Gloria. She swore that if I was late again, she would just go alone."

I shrugged. "Maybe you two could use some time alone."

"Yeah," Stan patted my shoulder, "says the guy who is looking for a roommate because he hates coming home to an empty house."

I exhaled. "I spent the last eight years living with someone. I'm getting really bad at it. I know myself. One more month alone, and I'm going to have trouble stepping out of the door."

"It's a natural phase, man. You just miss her." Chad watched me with pity I didn't really feel after yesterday.

"I don't know..." I rubbed my jaw. "Honestly, I thought that, but then I realized we were just not that compatible. We were stuck because we'd invested too much and were afraid to let go."

"You really are getting too introspective, man." He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Fine. I think the company would suit you. If anything, just call us."

"Honestly, I'd probably call Ross and Kyle if that person turned out to be some freak, but thanks." I gave him a look. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Plenty of people have roommates."

"I wouldn't know. I lived with my parents, and then I moved in with Ada. I think I'm spoiled."

"Yes, you are." I grinned.

"Guys, are you going to send something today?"

I turned, and Kyle jogged out of the locker room with a huge smirk and hair messed up in that very specific way that screamed Ross. He dropped in beside us, grinning like trouble had teeth.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing." Kyle's eyes sparkled, which was never a good sign. "I think Ross will take some time. When you see him getting here, tell me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to need to climb as high as I possibly can and camp there until he promises I'm safe to come down."

"Kyle, you do know the two of you live together?"

"Sure." He shrugged, all innocent. "He just needs to cool down a bit, and then it'll be fine."

"What have you done?"

Kyle held my gaze for half a beat too long, enjoying himself. "I tied him naked to a locker and left."

"Dude!"

"Just tell me when you see him stomping down."

I had to laugh.

I didn't love how Kyle and Ross had started. I'm annoyingly loyal, and cheating sits wrong in my gut. But after two years of seeing them together, it was hard to pretend they weren't... messy and stupid but weirdly perfect for one another.

.

Ross really did come down after some time, and he really did look menacing. The quiet menace, where he didn't rush, didn't stomp, just moved with purpose, like the air was supposed to get out of his way if it were smart enough.

Kyle didn't even need a heads-up. Part of me believed his self-preservation made the hair on the back of his head stand up like a haunted animal that knows danger is coming and has to run.

Kyle turned and let out something between a gasp and a giggle before he climbed up.

Ross's expression shifted, the anger cooling into something sharper. He looked more amused than mad now, and that slow, sadistic grin played on his mouth as he watched Kyle cling to the top like a frightened cat.

It reminded me of Zane.

Will Ross take his revenge cold when they get home?

Damn... Why did I suddenly keep thinking about things like this? And why was I getting aroused by that in the first place?

Kyle refused to get down. He sat on the upper ledge under the ceiling and crossed his legs.

Ross didn't chase after him, nor did he seem phased. He just called up, way too calm, that Kyle could stay there as long as he wanted.

Hearing that from him, watching his glare lock on Kyle's from all the way down here, was intense...

Later, Stan, Chad, and I headed to work, leaving the two of them to their own devices.

Kyle was, by the way, really up on that boulder the entire time, and Ross refused to go up for him, nor did he promise he wouldn't retaliate.

And I hated how badly I wanted to see how it'd played out for them.

.

Five o'clock.

Stan was getting ready to go to the movies with Ada, and Chad called Gloria to ask if she needed him to stop for groceries. I have to say I was jealous. I missed these little things. After so many years, coming home to an empty house still felt wrong in this quiet, stupid way, and in unguarded moments I found myself waiting for someone who wasn't coming back.

A calendar notification popped up on the top of my screen.

Right. Mister Adams.

.

I got home.

Our usual autopilot routine with Lauren over the years made me think of her again. I hung the keys on their hook beside the door, slid off my shoes under the bench, and paused when my curls fell into my eyes, just to shove them back with my fingers.

It was officially in its I-should-do-something-about-it length, but these days, every time I remembered it, something else was happening, and I scheduled the task for "later."

Lauren used to comb through it when she was happy, and the memory hit so gently it almost felt mean.

Crap... I got lost in my thoughts again, and now I didn't have much time.

I dropped my gym bag on the laundry room floor and decided to wash it when the promising tenant left.

Mr. Z. Adams.

I liked the Z part. Not many names started with Z. He always signed his emails with "Z. A.", and I'd been dying to ask what it stood for, but I couldn't figure out how to ask without sounding like I was planning to run a background check on him.

People get weird about that stuff these days.

A knock cut through my thoughts.

As I walked, I dragged a hand down my face, wiped my palms on my dress pants, and tried to arrange my expression into something landlord-ish. Friendly. Normal.

I opened the door.

"Welcome..." I looked up with a smile.

Froze.

And then I slammed it shut IN HIS FACE!

"Crap!"

I didn't just do that. I did not! Noo!

Of course, it was Zane.

The guy I'd been trying to replay in my head while brushing my teeth. The guy whose voice had shown up in my thoughts at random times, completely uninvited, as if my brain had picked a new hobby and it was humiliation.

He knocked again.

I pressed my forehead to the door and banged it there once, twice. Just quiet and miserable, then I realized he definitely heard it.

Great. Landlord of the year, everyone. Who wouldn't want to live with me?

"I'm so sorry," I grumbled through the door.

"Is this a bad time?" His voice came also through the wood, smooth and steady, with that faint edge of amusement he didn't bother very hard to hide.

Great... Now I think of a man's voice as smooth. So, so not-gay out of me right now...

Count down from ten.

"No," I tried to keep calm. "Sorry. I'll open."

"All right," he chuckled. "I'll just wait here in the meantime."

I took a breath, then another, and opened the door again.

"Hey," I think my blue eyes must have been the only thing on my face that wasn't crimson red then. "Sorry."

Zane's eyes flicked over me with quick, contained interest before his mouth twitched into a smirk. "So it was you," he said, sounding almost pleased.

"Yeah," I managed. His face was angular and clean-shaven now, which felt unfair for some reason; I could watch those lips and wonder if they felt any different this way than with that stubble. "I didn't expect you of all people."

"You don't say." He lifted his brows. "And here I thought you greeted anyone this kindly."

"No. I... I freaked out."

"Mhm." He nodded, patient, letting me sit with it for half a second. Then, softer, almost as if he were trying to be helpful, "Do you want me to leave?"

"No. No!"

Zane stood there patiently. Then looked meaningfully at me, and my thoughts started spiraling out of embarrassment. His eyes narrowed as he chuckled. "Zack, I'm still standing outside."

"Right. Sorry." I stepped back so fast my curls fell into my eyes again. Crap! I motioned him in. "Come on in."

.

We stepped into the house, and I gave him the most awkward tour imaginable: a vague sweep of the downstairs, "kitchen," "bathroom," "living room," before I led him up to the bedroom I was thinking of renting. Blurting out about my ex-fiancé moving out. Because he for sure needed to know that...

He nodded softly. "I broke up with mine over the pandemic as well," looking around. "I'm living with my cousin now, but honestly, it's getting annoying."

"How so?"

Zane glanced at me, mouth twitching. "He likes to bring guys home to fuck."

I snorted before I could stop myself. "Right."

He stared at me.

I lifted a shoulder, grin already twitching. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Sure." It made me feel a little smug. We both knew what he was thinking. "Let's go up."

I showed him the bathroom, then the room I'd cleared out. "You said you wanted to bring your own furniture, so I moved what was in here to the basement. But if you need anything, just ask. I'm pretty open minded, as long as we talk about it civilly."

He nodded, walking into the bright space.

"So... what do you think?"

"It's cool." He looked out the window. "Honestly, it's kind of perfect. It's like five minutes from the station."

Suddenly I imagined him in firefighters' gear... Bad idea! My throat swallowed on its own. "Yeah," I ran my hand through my hair. "That's true."

"But..." he looked at me and put his hands into his pockets. "Don't you think that it would be awkward? The two of us?"

"Well, we can just make a pact that I won't be slamming the door in your face, and you won't be calling me a whore while railing me," I smirked at him. Stupid me felt smug enough to mock him, but the way he looked at me just then made my breath catch.

"It was a joke," I blurted quickly. "I thought we were both straight, and we were just caught up in... an unusual predicament."

"Yeah. Sure." Zane's jaw worked once. "Right."

Zane let a snicker curve his mouth.

Damn... That made him even hotter.

His head tilted a little, his eyes never leaving me. "Have you seen Gina since?"

"Nah. I don't think we'd work out, and she warned me up front that she wasn't looking for a relationship. What about you and Chloe?"

"No. I didn't even take her number."

"Neither mine." I tried to match his expression.

Zane nodded. "I was actually a bit sorry about that."

"Really? Me too, but I didn't want to come off rude by not taking Gina's, but I want to hang out with... well..."

"Guy who fucked you?" His tone was blunt, and I swear those eyes darkened.

Gracious admission. I chuckled and ran my fingers through my hair. "I suppose you could say that."

I saw Zane watching me, and something stupidly pleased lit up in me when he smiled. "I think I thought about it the same way."

He moved around the room. But this time, his step felt somewhat... predatory, with the way my abdomen fluttered when he spoke again. "I couldn't really get it out of my head, though."

I stared at his profile, the heat running down my abdomen, which squeezed once Zane turned to me. Those eyes were dark, hungry.

"Well, I can't say that I didn't jerk off to that a couple of times," I tried for casual and missed that by a mile, "but I've been without much action for months, so I guess my brain takes any spur it can get. Not to mention it was undeniably a hot night."

Trying to lighten the mood a little, but the way he looked at me probably did the opposite.

"Which part of that night did you jerk off to?" His wide body was now facing me. His hands stayed in his pockets, but his stare pinned me in place with sheer intent. I felt my heartbeat in my throat and couldn't remember if humans actually needed to breathe.

"I think all of it was hot." I swallowed.

Zane stepped forward, and my whole body went alert.

Body.

Not a single thought crossed my mind when he filled my space.

He leaned over me. Close, without touching me. "Tell me to stop." his voice sounded ragged at the edges, but the control tethering it was the scary part. "Or I may fuck you right here and have you beg me to let you come." His gaze dropped once, then came back up.

My breath shuddered, and my cock twitched so hard it made me rasp. "Zane... I'm not gay," I whispered, trying to reason with both of us while secretly wishing he'd push enough to make us do it anyway.

"I never considered myself to be one either." There was something almost frustrated in him right then. "But the way you look at me right now makes me crazy."

He paused as if waiting for me, quieter, still feral but held back by something careful. "What do you want, Zack?"

I forced myself to take a deep breath. I don't even have condoms in the house.

It took me too long to snap out of it...

Zane closed his eyes for a beat, exhaled through his nose, and when he opened them again, his gaze softened. Disappointed, maybe. Embarrassed, too. "I think I should go."

"Zane..." I croaked.

"Thank you for showing me the room." His voice stayed steady, but the words landed carefully, as if he was handling glass. "I don't think it's a good idea, Zack."

And the worst part was that he turned. Leaving.

Those aroused eyes! I kept looking at the back of his head and missing them.

"Have a good day, Zack."

No!