Gin didn't skimp on his pizza. 

The thing was an extra large with banana peppers, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, pineapple and triple cheese. Oh, and don't forget the garlic, cheese-stuffed crust. 

It took him nearly an hour to make himself eat a massive slice. He didn't take so long because he wasn't hungry. He was absolutely starving, but he knew that stuffing his face like the previous day would likely end with the same result. 

Fen managed to take down two pieces while Gin devoured the rest after making sure no one else wanted more. It was getting close to ten at night by the time they were done with dinner. He could feel himself nodding off, even though he'd slept most of the day away already. 

I seriously need to take a shower before I figure out the rest of my night. 

The pizza had gotten there far quicker than any of them had anticipated so Fen was the only clean one. Glancing sideways at the guy sitting next to him, Pyre winked at Gin, who was still slowly chewing at the last bit of crust. 

He was about to ask if he wanted to finish his last few bites with him in the shower, and maybe add a few more of himself, but he then thought better of it. The joke was terrible and he'd already flirted with the guy a bit too much today. 

"I'm gonna go shower."

When he got simple nods from the other two, Pyre hopped up and headed down the hallway. He made sure to stop at the laundry room and retrieved his spare change of clothing on the way. 

"Would you like to check out the second bathroom?" came a question from someone out of sight. 

Second bathroom? 

Fen appeared a moment later, gesturing for him to follow. Pyre hesitated, but then shrugged and hurried after him. They went down a small hallway and past a room with a door that was slightly ajar. He glanced in, being the curious guy that he was, and wasn't too surprised to see a large office set up inside. 

Past that was a linen closet on the right, then another door on the right a few feet farther. That door was also open, giving him a very nice view of Fen's massive master bedroom. He expected the guy to keep walking, so he was a bit startled when he ran right into him. 

Firm hands grabbed his shoulders just long enough to keep him from face-planting. He immediately wanted to react aggressively, but since Fen released him almost immediately and took a step back, he was able to calm himself down enough to allow the panic to subside. 

Once that meltdown had been averted, he glanced sideways at Fen, who grinned and nodded toward his open door. 

Oh damn. Do we have enough condoms for this? I totally wasn't prepared.

He fumbled forward as Fen gave him a light shove, then walked past him and to the left toward a closed door. When Pyre tilted his head and eyed it suspiciously, but didn't move to open it, Fen sighed and stepped forward. 

He grabbed the handle and calmly opened it before stepping inside, then moved to the side and glanced back at him. 

Holy shit. 

Pyre slowly inched forward until he was standing on the mixture of tan and black mosaic tiles of the man's monstrous bathroom floor. There was a massive vanity on either side of the room with two sinks each and mottled tan granite countertops. Beyond them was an open floorplan nearly as big as the first family room in front of the elevator. And beyond that? A gorgeous view of the darkened city skyline. 

"How is this for only one person?" he said without really meaning to. 

Fen stepped up beside him and shrugged one shoulder. 

"Gin sometimes comes in and uses the hot tub with me, especially after a stressful exam." 

That's a second person, I suppose... and I want details. 

Staring at the guy, Pyre slowly shook his head, earning a confused look right back. 

"I still don't get how you two haven't gone at each other yet."

Fen's face tinted pink as he quickly looked away and walked forward, pointing toward a huge shower with a frosted glass door that didn't do too well at leaving things to the imagination. He could even see the guy's shampoo and conditioner bottles pretty easily through it. 

"You can use whatever you want in here. No need to ask," Fen said, making Pyre grin a little as he walked closer and nudged the guy with his shoulder. 

"Even if you're asleep?" 

Clearly unable to help himself, Fen let a surprised laugh slip from his lips before he caught it and quieted. 

"I suppose, as long as you're only coming in to use this area." 

Caught me. 

Taking another glance around, Pyre decided that he wouldn't mind making quite a few trips to the nicer bathroom, but he had other things on his mind as he hopped up to sit on the counter.

"How often do you sleep with Gin?" he asked abruptly, making Fen flinch as he turned around to look at him. 

He could tell that the guy was about to decline the accusation, again, but then he slowly closed his mouth and looked down at his feet. 

"Usually at least five times a week..." he eventually mumbled nervously, seeming uncomfortable about it. 

Why are you so stressed about such a thing? 

"I'm not going to make fun of you for wanting to sleep next to someone because you're really cold," Pyre said as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. 

He waited silently until Fen finally glanced sideways at him, then slowly straightened and lifted his head to meet his eyes. 

"I know you two aren't sleeping together, even though I can tell that Gin really likes you," Pyre said, making Fen's eyes widen. 

"He... what?" he asked, his face turning pale. 

Maybe I said too much. I thought it was obvious...

"Gin is just my housemate. I rented him a room on the condition that he wouldn't mind if I borrowed his body heat once in a while..." he said awkwardly as he turned around and started walking toward the covered hot tub. 

Pyre watched him, contemplating his next words carefully. 

"That doesn't mean that feelings can't develop. I mean, look at me for example. I barely knew the guy for a few weeks and I practically begged him to fuck me. I didn't want to let him move away, either, but I knew that if I didn't cut ties completely once he did that I'd be after him like candy no matter how far I had to go to get him," Pyre said with a sad laugh towards the end. 

He really did still love Gin. The bastard was adorable and cared so much about the people around him. He just kept it well hidden beneath nervous looks and gentle words. 

"I'm sorry that what I said stressed you out. I'm sure Gin is quite happy with exactly how things are now. I mean, I'd totally be content to cuddle you every night," Pyre said with another quiet chuckle. 

He'd looked down when he'd said that, the slightest bit embarrassed about the confession since it had actually been honest and not just an innuendo for the hell of it. So, when he looked up again and saw Fen staring at him seriously, but not saying a word, he fidgeted a little where he still sat on the counter. 

When Fen took a step closer, Pyre heard alarm bells begin to ring in the back of his mind. His body began to tense and he started holding his breath... but just as quickly as it had begun, he felt his muscles relax and his held breath slowly slip through his parted lips. 

Fen wasn't going to attack him. The man's body posture was relaxed and his hands were loose at his sides. He wasn't smiling, but he also wasn't wearing any kind of negative expression, either. 

He's not going to hurt you. 

Of course, he'd told himself that so many times throughout his life when trying to deal with other people, but his mind had never listened. It had to be shown that there was no danger. Had to see the signals and expressions that meant there would be no ill will toward him. Most people didn't understand how to express those.

Once he'd finally calmed himself completely, Pyre hunched a little as he leaned backwards on his hands and sighed. 

Leave it to a government abuse caseworker to know how to defuse a situation.

"Would you really want to sleep with me in such a way?" Fen finally asked, surprising Pyre. 

Guy has some guts. 

He wouldn't have thought that he'd have the strength to ask him without feeling too awkward. 

Pyre slowly slid from the counter, landing silently on his bare feet before addressing the man only a few inches away. 

"I'd love to sleep with you in any way you'd let me," he said with a wink. 

Fen finally cracked a smile and rolled his eyes before opening his mouth... and promptly dropping down to the floor as his shift took over without a single warning. 

"Well, that was unexpected, but I can roll with it," Pyre said as he leaned over and carefully lifted the snake. 

It gladly began coiling around his neck and waist. A faint brush of cold air had him looking up toward the ceiling. 

"You were standing beneath an air-conditioning vent..." 

He looked down at the snake now flicking its tongue in his direction as its head rested on his left shoulder. 

"You know that I have to shower now, right? You can't just stay there," he said as he walked over to the huge shower door and slid it open. 

The snake didn't seem to get the memo. Instead of just leaving, it simply moved up and down his body as he worked on removing his clothing. 

He would have thought that the creature would have the decency to at least act embarrassed, but nope, it still gladly clung to him around his chest and neck once he was completely naked. 

"You already had a shower, but I guess you're getting another one now, Snaky," Pyre said as he reached in to the set the temperature. 

The sprayer had some serious pressure as he stepped in and slid the door shut, but the little buttons on the wall in front of him had his curiosity piqued. 

"Wonder what this does..." he mumbled as he reached forward and pressed the top button. 

The showerhead suddenly turned off at the same time the long square above his head let out a torrential downpour of hot water. Pyre yelped and immediately fumbled with the buttons through the waterfall of water running in front of his eyes. 

He managed to hit the third button and the water shut off again. On high alert, Pyre looked around, nervous about what would come on next. Thankfully, the normal showerhead began spraying water again instead of some other random sprayer. It was just much lighter. He did notice several more possible sprayers built into the wall to his side, though, so he decided not to mess with the buttons anymore for the time being and just accepted the lighter pressure. 

After giving himself a moment to relax, Pyre reached over and picked up Fen's fancy shampoo bottle. It was black with gold lettering and listed all this random shit that was probably good for you, but that he didn't give a damn about. 

"Hope you don't mind..." he said as he put a decent amount into the palm of his hand, then lifted it up to begin scrubbing his messy hair. 

He felt Fen's snake move as he washed himself, but when he finally rinsed the sweet-smelling shampoo from his hair and opened his eyes, he was surprised to see it slithering its way to the floor. It settled against the tile in between his bare feet after only a few moments. 

It seemed content to rest there, so Pyre just made sure not to step on it as he added a conditioner to his hair that smelled more woodsy than sweet. It actually evened out the scent of the other quite well, leaving a pleasant smell that didn't overpower his nose. 

He was just reaching for the bottle of body wash when he noticed a something tap his right foot, drawing his attention downward again. 

Ah. 

Carefully stepping over Fen, he turned the water off and was about to grab a towel from the bar outside the sliding glass door when he felt shaking arms wrap around his right leg. 

Normally it would have triggered something within him to defend himself, but for some reason, Fen had been getting around his normally-aggressive guard lately. 

Leaving the door shut, he glanced down to see the guy with his head down, forehead pressed against his outer leg. 

"It'll force its way back out if I get too cold too fast," he said quietly, stress clear in his tone and posture. 

He had no doubt that he definitely didn't want to have to sit naked in the shower with him, but he really had no other choice. 

"Were you planning to go to bed after showing me this bathroom?" Pyre asked as he calmly turned the water back on, then began cleaning his body with the minty body wash Fen had available. 

Fen nodded against his leg, then yawned as if on cue. 

Adorable. 

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Pyre asked as he got his body scrubbed up, except for the spot on his leg Fen was hugging. 

The guy was silent for a long moment, but as Pyre partially turned to rinse off his front, Fen finally spoke. 

"Have a business meeting tomorrow. On my computer," he said, making Pyre smile.

"That sounds like an absolute blast," he said jokingly as he finally turned off the water, ending his shower. 

He felt Fen's arms tighten around his leg and could also feel him beginning to shiver. 

It must really suck to be so sensitive to the temperature around you. 

Instead of shaking the guy off to go get a towel, Pyre looked toward the wall of buttons. 

"Would one of these be a heater by chance?" he asked, thinking that it was a logical thing to install considering his disability. 

When he felt Fen nod against him again, Pyre grinned, but then frowned. 

"It's broken." 

Alright, no problem. 

He slowly slid the door open and grabbed the fluffy white towel hanging on the bar in front of it before shoving it closed again. 

Instead of drying himself off, Pyre carefully knelt down. Fen adjusted as he moved, eventually looking up just in time to allow Pyre to settle the large, soft towel upon his head. 

The man looked confused, but Pyre let his actions speak for him as he carefully but quickly dried Fen's hair, then worked his way around his body without spending an uncomfortable amount of time anywhere. 

By the time he was done Fen was nearly completely dry, except for his private bits. Pyre let him have the towel to do that once he was satisfied with his previous job, then slid out of the shower and pushed the door closed again. 

He found himself a towel folded on the counter a few feet away and quickly got himself dried off, even though he'd air-dried decently well while he'd been working on Fen. 

By the time he got his change of clothing on Fen was walking past him with his towel around his waist. He watched as the man hurried around the large, dark-themed room. The lights were off and it was pretty dark outside, but Fen seemed to have no trouble finding himself a set of soft pajamas. 

He then hurried to switch on several things by his bed, which Pyre quickly figured out were electric blankets. 

"I'll get out of your hair now," Pyre said as he headed for the door. 

Stepping out, he realized that Gin must have already gone to bed because all of the lights were out except for the little guide light plugged in by the baseboards in the living room that seemed to be struggling not to go out. 

It's really dark...

He wasn't a fan of not being able to see well. One too many times, pain had come out of complete darkness. 

"Wait." 

Pyre glanced over his shoulder, but couldn't see much in the room since he'd already switched off the bathroom light. To his surprise, though, a faint glow appeared in the far corner, illuminating just enough of the room to make him feel less uneasy. 

He could see Fen quickly return to where he'd likely been getting comfortable beneath his blankets. 

"I can keep that light on..." the man said after he finished tucking himself in tightly, leaving only his slightly damp hair and eyes visible. 

Pyre took a few moments to process the situation before he took a step forward and carefully closed the door behind himself. 

"There is a lot of room in that bed," he commented as he slowly walked closer. 

It really was a massive thing. Clearly bigger than a normal king. 

Hearing Fen give a sleepy yawn, Pyre decided to push his nerves to the side and just accept the offer that was being given to him. He was just about to climb into the comfortable-looking bed when he heard a light tap on the door behind him, making him jump and spin around with his fingers curling into fists at his sides. 

Gin's head popped inside after a moment, his brow furrowed with worry. 

"Oh, Pyre. I thought that you had already gone to bed. Fen, are you okay?" he asked as he glanced past him toward the man hiding beneath his blankets in his too-big bed. 

"I should be okay. The blankets are all working well," Fen said after an awkward silence. 

Gin frowned, opening the door a little bit more as Pyre managed to relax his hands and calm his heart. 

"Are you sure? You know that you're always welcome in my bed." 

Smooth. You forgot to add the 'if you're cold' part. 

Fen ducked a little more beneath his blankets. 

"I'll be good tonight. You guys go ahead and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow morning." 

Stressed him out too much. 

The guy had clearly been uncomfortable asking him to stay in the first place, and then add Gin to the mix after having just told him that the guy liked him. Yeah, he wasn't surprised that Fen backed away from the whole situation. 

"Alright, we'll see you tomorrow," Pyre said as he stepped out into the hallway, then took Gin's hand. 

The guy hesitated for a few moments before bidding goodnight to Fen, too, then stepping out of the room and shutting the door. 

"I suppose it's just us tonight," Gin said, making Pyre offer him a slight smile. 

"Maybe we can have a full sleepover another night," he said, earning a quiet chuckle, then hum of agreement from the guy as they walked through the darkness toward Gin's room hand in hand.