(The gif above is the fabulous Maston Zion)

Chapter 48   Food for the Soul

Tommy

"Come on guys, we need a study break and Tai is performing his dance final this afternoon for students and faculty at CCA, let's go as a show of support."

I look around the table piled high with books. Payton has loose leaf paper scattered all over the area in front of him writing down notes and making study guides. He says he remembers better if he writes things down. Ashton is leaning back, his body sideways to the table so he can rest his head on his arm which is perched on a pile of books while his right ankle rests over his left knee, a book perched on his leg and a pen tucked above his ear. The picture of calm, or maybe boredom. He's been studying a lot with the help of Master Zion lately, which I think has been really great for him. I've even caught him smiling a few times.

"Is this the one he choreographed himself?" Payton asks.

"Yes, so we have to go. He's going to be famous, someday and we can all say we knew him when," I urge.

"Knew him, I'm going to be living off him," Ashton chuckles and I raise my eyebrows. "I'll probably still be in vet school racking up the student loans so I need at least one of my friends to be rich so I can mooch off them."

"I hear you on that," Payton adds. "We'll both mooch off him, Tommy will be Mrs. Casey Savage so he'll be set, but we'll still be poor college students."

"I'm not going to be a Mrs!" I object.

"See, he doesn't deny the rest," Payton gloats so I whack him with a rolled up notebook.

"Ow," he pouts and sticks his tongue out at me. Child.

"Pay, you have Remy now, he'll take care of you," I say.

"I'm his sub, doesn't mean I'll let him support me," Payton replies. "I can take care of myself. Mooching off your friends is one thing, I mean, it's expected, part of the bro-code, but I'm not going to let myself be dependent on anybody. That's why people stay in bad relationships, why do you think my mom stayed with my dad?"

"She works now though."

"Yeah, but not until I was in High School and now they're just a mess of co-dependency. I just don't think I'd ever feel comfortable depending that much on someone. They can leave and then it's like the rug is swept from under your feet."

I glance at Ashton, but he just watches Payton with an impassive look.

"I just want to be able to take care of myself if something happens or it doesn't work out. Even if it does, I want to be able to support myself and contribute to the shared expenses. I think couples where they both contribute work the best. It's okay if one makes more money than the other, as long as they work as a team..." Payton stops and looks around. "I'll shut up now," he says while a blush appears on his face before he looks back down at his book, like he just realized he's become the center of attention as Ashton and I listen quietly. Even Lane, who just walked back in from a visit to the washroom is silent.

"No, you're absolutely right Pay," Lane says as Payton slinks down in his chair. "Why do you think I want to open my own gym slash physio clinic? I could easily stay home and live off Daddy's millions, but I'd be so bored I'd go crazy, and as much as I love Matthias and know he loves me and would give me anything, I don't want to have to ask him every time I want something or want to spend money. It's just not cool."

"What about when you have kids?" I suggest. "Who would be the stay-at-home parent while they're little. I'm all for equality, but I think it's important for a parent to be with their kids at least for the first 4 or 5 years, until they're in school. I don't think I'd trust some daycare when my kids are babies."

Silence. Payton, Ashton and Lane all stare at me.

"What?"

"We just never realized you were already planning your kids with Casey?" Payton says.

"You know I love kids, of course I want to have them, and Casey and I love each other, so we talk about the future and our goals. Don't you guys want kids?"

"No." Payton says flatly.

"Maybe," Lane says, "if I could ever convince Matthias...which, I don't know. He thinks babies are gross and kids are loud and obnoxious."

"And they eat all your food," Ashton adds.

"Why don't you want kids Pay?" I ask because we've never really talked about it.

"Too much responsibility...too much time, I don't know, I just don't think I'm the right person to make a lifelong commitment like that. I like kids okay, but I'd be a better uncle, play with them then hand them back when they get cranky. I just don't want to screw up anyone's life."

"You wouldn't screw up anyone's life," I tell him.

"I just don't think it's the be-all and end-all of a relationship. Not everyone wants to be a parent and there's nothing wrong with that," he huffs, sounding a little defensive.

"No, you're right. It's not for everybody," I say and decide to drop the subject. "Lane, we're going to take a break and go see Tai dance, are you coming?" I ask as I stand up and put my books in a pile. "If we leave now, we have time to stop on the way and grab some lunch."

That gets both Ashton and Lane's attention.

"I could eat," Ashton deadpans.

A half hour later we park the car near Tai's campus. There's a Quizno's on the block so we decide to go there to grab subs for lunch.

A few people are in front of us so we wait in line looking up at the big boards figuring out what we want.

"What are you guys having?" I ask.

"Meatball, 12 inch," Ashton replies without hesitation. "Maybe a Prime Rib Philly too, yeah, that sounds good."

We all look at him, but he just smiles and pats his flat stomach.

"The Baja Chicken might be alright," Lane muses, even though I know he'll change his mind a few times before we get to the head of the line.

"I'm not sure yet," Payton sighs. "What about you Tommy?"

"I think I'll get a 9 inch California Club."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Lane shouts and half the people in the place look over, but it doesn't faze Lane. He's not ever one to mind being the center of attention.

"Remember a few months ago when I told you about the Color Run?"

"Mhm," I say as Payton and Ashton nod.

"Well, it's coming up. The Saturday after finals so don't forget because none of you are getting out of it." Lane glares at Ashton when he lets out a groan.

"Someday your metabolism is going to slow down Ash so doing a run once in a while isn't going to kill you. Just because you can eat anything you want now and look fit..."

"I work out, I'm just not a fan of running," Ashton objects. "But I said I'd go Lane, so no worries."

"Casey and I are still planning on going," I tell him.

"Yep, I'm still going too," Payton says. "I don't know about Remy, but I'll ask him."

"Oh Remy's going," Lane assures him, "I signed him up and Matthias won't let him out of it."

"Cool," Payton says with a grin before he moves aside so the people in front of us can go pay for their order.

"Hi there, what can I get for you," the worker says to him since he's closest.

"Um, I'll have a 9 inch Black Angus please," he replies.

I look at Ashton, who looks at Lane. We can't help it, we all burst into laughter causing Payton to turn around with a confused look. "What?"

"Nothing," Lane snickers, trying to stop his laughter, "I just figured Remy for at least 10 inches."

His brows furrow in further confusion which makes us laugh even harder.

"Your order?" I say to Pay, "9 inch Black Angus..."

Realization slowly dawns on his face, which turns bright red before he shakes it, rolling his eyes. "You guys."

"You know you love us," Lane says, "almost as much as Remy's 9 inch black..."

"Lane! Stop," both Payton and I yell as Pay tries to cover Lane's mouth with his hand. In the meantime Ashton has stepped up to place his orders, ignoring the rest of us.

My phones beeps, diverting my attention and I see a text from Chris. We haven't seen him in a couple of weeks since we've all been busy with the end of the semester. The lucky dog, I envy him not being in school.

"Chris is going to meet us there," I tell the rest of the group. "He wants us to bring him a 12 inch Italian."

"I thought he was with Master Clark now?" Payton says innocently, as he holds in a grin.

Our jokes never get old.

Ashton

"This is given in the muscle. It's also picked up by the blood supply and spread to all tissues of the body very rapidly," he says making me bite my lip as I think through all the terms.

"Um," I mumble and he smiles with a look that tells me 'you got this' in his eyes, "intramuscular vaccine!"

"Yes!" He beams and I hold out my hand with a smirk.

Zion chuckles, but drops a Hershey's Kiss on my waiting hand. I unwrap the chocolate and pop it into my mouth as he looks through the flashcards for another question. I lean back against the wall, watching Zion closely. He's dressed in a pair of joggers, a loose t-shirt covering his upper body that I'm used to seeing bare. His hair is messy as if he didn't bother to brush it when he woke up. A smile tugs at the end of my lips as I look at him, sitting crossed legged across from me on my small twin-sized bed in my dorm room. The chocolate slowly melts in my mouth as he looks up and our eyes lock. His gaze is intense and I swallow, the taste of chocolate soothing my sudden dry throat.

Staring has become one of our forms of communication. It was a contest of sorts and winning came at a price. He wouldn't look at me so much as through me, like my head was transparent and he was fascinated by an object two inches behind my skull. Zion would always win our little staring contests and I'd blame his ability to flip the switch at a moment's notice and let his Dominant aura spill out. It felt wrong to gaze into his deep brown eyes and I'd look away, much like I do now. His chuckle echoes in my ears and I throw the handful of Hershey's Kisses wraps at him. He blinks in surprise and I laugh as he shakes his head and a few fly out of his hair.

"What is the gestation period of horses?" He reads off the next flashcard and I hum loudly.

"It's ten months," I answer, but he shakes his head making me frown.

"Nope, but you're close." He says so I think back to the lecture.

"Oh, eleven months!" I correct and he smirks.

"Yup, but you need to know how many days." He tells me with a raised brow.

"Ugh!" I groan while leaning forward and I try to see the answer, but he quickly hides the cards behind his back.

"Don't cheat!" He laughs as I gaze up at him with furrowed brows. "Come on, Ash, it's not that hard. We know that there are 365 days in 12 months..."

"I don't know," I shrug and lay down, staring at the ceiling.

"Ashton, we're almost done. Don't give up now," he encourages while squeezing my knee.

"I'm tired, we've been studying for my exams every day for the last week. I need a break," I yawn and gasp as he crawls over me and hovers above me with a displeased frown.

"This is the last class you have to study for though, Mój Drogi," he says softly, but I just shrug, "okay how about this. We get through this last stack of flashcards and I'll take you out to eat wherever you want."

"Deal," I beam making him chuckle and he moves back as I sit up.

"So how many days? I know that you know this, just think," he says while presenting another Kiss in his hand so I roll my eyes with a chuckle.

365 days in a year, it's eleven months so it can't be any less than...

"Oh, 340!" I face palm, "I knew that."

"I told you," he smiles proudly before tossing the chocolate at me making me chuckle.

Zion continues to quiz me for the next hour until we finish. I get off the bed and take the flashcards from him before putting them back into my desk drawer. Turning, I gasp in surprise when I notice just how close Zion is standing. His large hands cup my cheeks and I gaze up at him as he stares down at me. His minty, chocolaty smelling breath fans my face and I swallow as he licks his lip. He begins to lean forward and I watch as his lips get closer, making no move to push him away. I know he won't kiss me. His lips press against my cheek as his thumb brushes over my warm cheek.

"I'm proud of you, Ashton, for pushing through and getting your studies finished," he whispers and I smile as he pulls back.

"Thank you for helping me," I whisper back so he scoffs.

"Of course I'd help you." He smiles at me as if him not helping me was out of the question. "Where do you want to go eat?"

"I'm not sure yet. To be honest, I don't really mind. I eat just about anything," I shrug as I step into my boots.

"Oh, I've noticed." He laughs making me smirk.

I look over my shoulder as I grab my wallet and keys to see Zion tugging on his own boots. He runs his hands through his hair and I look away before he catches me watching him. Over the past few days that he's been helping me study, Zion has gotten to know just how large my appetite is. It was slightly amusing to see his shocked expression the first time we went out. It reminded me of Gideon's expression...his hazel eyes filled with amused shock and his soft plump lips parted slightly. I frown as an odd pain stabs my chest making me rub my hand over it slowly.

"It's going to be okay," Zion whispers as he grabs my shoulders and I nod slowly.

"I know," I reply so he steps back as I turn to face him, "ready to go?"

"Yeah," he nods and leads me towards the door, "after you, mój drogi."

"Thanks," I chuckle at his graceful bow as he holds the door open.

When we get outside, it's nice. Warm with a small breeze, the sun shines brightly and white clouds paint across the blue sky. Zion's hand presses against the small of my back and he leads me to the parking lot. A smile tugs at my lips, excitement begins pumping in my veins. The first time I saw it, I thought I was seeing things, but I wasn't. Zion rides a beautiful all black Harley Davidson that makes one of the sexiest noises as it's turned on that I've ever heard.

He hands me the helmet and I put it on as he swings his leg over the body of the bike. Clipping the strap under my chin, I grab his shoulder before climbing on behind him, the way the seat is formed makes me slide closer until my chest is pressed closely to his back. Zion puts on his own helmet before turning on the bike and I bite my lip as it roars to life, the body vibrating under us. I wrap my arms around Zion's waist as he starts backing the bike out of the parking spot.

I have no idea where we're going, but I'm ready to enjoy to ride. The roar of the engine as he cranks the throttle makes the end of my lips tilt up and I clutch at his shirt once we hit the main road. Zion swerves in between the cars, zooming past a yellow light and I loosen my arms from around his waist to reach back. My fingers curl around seat and I tilt my head back, watching the clouds disappear as we ride past them.

It doesn't take long before the Harley stops and Zion's hand pats my thigh, silently telling me to get off. I grab his shoulders and stand, swinging my leg over the bike and getting on the curb. Pulling the helmet off, I run my hand through my hair a few times as Zion turns off the bike and gets off. He never seems to have helmet hair, no matter how long the ride is. I hand him the helmet and he locks it onto the motorcycle before turning to face me. Cocking a brow at his cheeky grin, I look behind me to see some clothing store. I look back at him in confusion and he chuckles before turning my head slightly until I see what he wants me to see. The extremely popular Lou Malnati's is a few stores down and just thinking of amazing food makes my stomach roar in joy.

"Well are you just going to stand there?" I hear and snap out of my thoughts of all the amazing food I'm about to eat to see Zion is already halfway there.

"No!" I call back before walking over.

It takes about ten minutes before a table on the patio is available and another ten minutes for a waiter to get to us, not that I mind because it gives me time to look for what I'm in the mood for. The waitress walks over, apologizing for the wait and asking us if we're ready to order. My eyes scan the menu then I look up. After Zion gives me the go ahead to order whatever I want, I start off with the appetizer of Lou's Bruschetta, the main meal being their famous deep dish pepperoni pie, a large one, along with garlic knots, cheesy bread, and a Dr. Pepper to drink. The woman looks at me silently then blinks when I tell Zion to order his food. I look over when he bursts out laughing, clutching at his stomach as I lick my lips, just thinking of the mouth-watering taste of the pizza.

"What's so funny?" I ask confused, but he shakes his head, ordering a personal pepperoni pie and a water.

"Is that all?" The waitress asks while glancing at me.

"For now, when I'm done I'll get dessert," I tell her and close the menu before putting it in her outstretched hand.

"Studying sure does work up your appetite," Zion chuckles after she walks away to get our drinks.

"It does," I agree while sitting back.

He smiles at me, "sure you're going to be able to eat that all? It's a lot of food."

"Of course, this thing is a bottomless pit," I state while patting my stomach.

"So you think you're prepared for your exams? If not, we can keep studying," he suggests making me sigh.

"Can we just not talk about school for now?" I ask and he tilts his head.

"How's Ozzie doing?" He questions so I sit up.

"He's real good," I smile, "the family that adopted him sends pictures in every week with a letter on how he's doing. They're really outdoorsy so Ozzie spends lots of time in the man-made lake they have or going on hiking trips. He looks really happy."

Zion and I chat about random things, plans for next week and next year, for the years after that and even what we want to accomplish in ten years. Zion is partnered in business, co-owning a chain of banks with an old friend of his so he doesn't want for much. All he says is that within the next few years, he wants to find someone who completes him, who he can settle down with and start a family. Obviously he's older than I am, he's twenty-eight. This question makes me think, where do I want to be in ten years? I'll be thirty years old, almost thirty-one, and hopefully,  I'll have my own veterinary clinic by then. I'll be in school for another seven years though so I just have to focus on that for now. I don't want any serious relationships during school, nothing to deter my focus from my studies.

As we eat, I listen to him talk about some business deal he's been trying to finish for a few months. Apparently the person he's negotiating with is reluctant to sell, but Zion is persistent to buy. I take the last bite of my pizza and grab my soda to help me take it down. I can tell Zion is passionate about what he does by the way his eyes seem to gleam when he's talking about work or the business. Tearing off half the cheesy breadstick, I wonder if I'll still be as passionate about my profession after enduring eight years of school. A humorless chuckle escapes me, I'm sure I will be. I mean if Gideon could be passionate about his job, why can't I? He spent more than eight years in school.

"What about him are you thinking of?" Zion asks making me look at him confused. "Gideon, I mean. You're thinking of him, what about him are you thinking of?"

"Not him in particular," I admit as he raises a brow, "I was just thinking, will I still be happy with my career choice after eight years of school? Then I thought, Gideon did more than eight years in school and he's happy, so why wouldn't I be?"

"I am one hundred percent sure that after you finish school, you will be so happy, Ashton, and proud, which you should be because you accomplished something great." He smiles, but then he sighs, "you shouldn't compare yourself with him though, Ash. You two are very different," he says with a worried frown, "and I do believe he's happy with his job, but you think he's happy with his life at the moment?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" I mutter as I nibble on the cheesy bread.

He presses his lips together, "are you full?"

Smart choice to change the topic.

"I'm satisfied," I nod after finishing the last bit of my food, "I have a question."

"I may have an answer," he smirks making me roll my eyes before clearing my throat.

"My friends are doing the Color Run in a few weeks on the Saturday after finals, their Doms as well; Master Matthias, Master Casey, Master Remy, Master Clark and Master Ken. A few other couples from the club are going too," I trail off as his amused smirk turns into a soft grin, "I was wondering, um, well do you want to go?"

"Are you going to go?" he asks and I nod slowly, "then of course, I'll go."

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