"Rod," Etienne's voice called out in the dark.
"No, not funny, Charles," Jared groaned, sounding overwhelmed. All he wanted was to sleep, but Etienne always talk.
Etienne didn't care and said it anyway. "If a fly loses its wings, is it now a walk?"
Jared couldn't help but giggle.
Etienne kept going. "If tomatoes are fruit, is ketchup a smoothie?"
"Shut up!" Jared snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. Etienne had been rambling on and on, his endless chatter starting to grate on Jared's nerves. Sometimes, his talkative nature was charming, but right now? It was driving Jared nuts. All he wanted was a moment of peace.
"Make me!" Etienne challenged.
A loud clanking of iron bars echoed through the small jail, and light spilled into the dark room. The booming voice cut through their banter. After spending an entire week in darkness, any sight of light felt blinding.
"Wake up, pathetic losers! You guys have no idea how bad you smell! Ugh..." the guard complained, wrinkling his nose.
"Maybe you should stop locking people in airtight cells for a week straight!" Etienne complained back at the guard. The guard, however, ignored him, opening the cell door and tossing towels inside. "Go take a shower. Etienne, Cezar wants to talk to you."
"What if I refuse?"
"Means more weeks in isolation," the guard replied. In this small bunker, they all know each other, it's a small community.
Etienne's face turned sour as they walked out of the jail. Jared walked beside him and casually said, "If he only punish you, I'll wait outside his office."
Etienne's eyes widened, a hint of horror creeping into his expression. "W-what?"
"You worried you won't eat soon? I'm starving too. I'll wait until he's done with you, then we can eat together," Jared said, completely clueless about what was really happening.
"N-no, you don't have to, he's going to take a very long time. Just go ahead and eat. But, uh, make sure you wrap one up for me, okay?"
"I don't mind. I mean, solidarity, brotherhood, right?" Jared raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, but... It's fine, Rod. I'd prefer it that way."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. And if you want to wait for me, we can eat together once we're back in our unit," Etienne insisted.
Jared shrugged, "If you say so..."
The cold shower after a week in a dark, cramped cell was nothing short of bliss. The icy water shocked their skin at first, but the sensation soon turned invigorating, as if their bodies had come back to life.
Standing side by side in the bunker's communal shower, both naked, they silently enjoyed the rare relief.
Jared scrubbed his skin as if trying to grind away a week's worth of filth. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Etienne's soap slip and fall to the floor.
"Oh dear," Etienne gasped, clutching his chest as if the soap's fall was a personal betrayal. "What shall I do now?"
Jared rolled his eyes, unfazed. Knowing Etienne, it was just another one of his mischievous jokes. "There's no one here but me. Just take it."
"But... but..." Etienne stammered dramatically, pretending he was surrounded by predators.
"I got your butt. Just pick it up already!" Jared shot back, giving Etienne a look that said his melodrama was entirely unnecessary. This wasn't the first time Etienne pulled one of his stunts whenever he wanted Jared to do something for him, and it was Jared's job to drag the moment back to reality.
But the way Etienne looked back at him—head tilted, hands clasped together near his chest, and eyes wide with exaggerated bashfulness—he perfectly mimicked a shy young girl caught in the gaze of her crush.
"Stop acting like that!" Jared couldn't hold it in anymore. His serious facade cracked, and he broke into a grin, followed by a hearty laugh. "I'll rub your back later, not now," he managed between chuckles.
Etienne squatted gracefully to pick up the soap, deliberately exaggerating his movements with a feminine flair, before standing back up and putting on a playful, over-the-top pout. "Back-rubbing, that's all I got? Hm... fair enough," he quipped, his tone dripping with mock seduction.
Jared was still giggling, shaking his head at Etienne's antics that he love so much. "You don't need to drop your soap, damn it! Just ask. It's not like I've ever refused before."
"Oh, I just want to hear your laughter, you look ... cuter that way," Etienne teased, however Jared doesn't think that it was a flirt, but it's just part of his personality. There's no way someone as beautiful as him would interested in me, that's what Jared thought.
***
As promised, Jared rubbed Etienne's back with a rugged towel just after the shower.
"Harder," Etienne commanded, and Jared complied, rubbing harder. After a few moments, both of them burst into giggles, realizing how easily their actions could be misinterpreted.
"I swear, if someone didn't see what we're doing, they'd get the wrong idea," Jared said, scrubbing Etienne's back with increased force.
"What should I say? I mean we use that word, right?"
"Yeah, it's just a word." Jared shrugs.
"Unless I do this; Mmhh... oh yeah... Rod... you're so strong...keep going... harder!! Ahh...." Etienne bit his lip sensually, and Jared caught it in the mirror in front of them. He couldn't help but laugh at his best friend's antics.
"Don't stop... Rod....!" Etienne purred, unbothered by the fact that they were alone in the bunker's public bathroom.
"I thought someone do something hot here," a familiar voice suddenly rang out, loud and clear.
Recognizing Cezar's voice, Jared quickly sprang to his feet, snapping into a salute. In his haste, the towel wrapped around his waist fell to the floor, but it didn't break his disciplined posture. However, Etienne remained sitting on his stool, a look of disgust crossing his face at the sight of Cezar's presence. He wanted to throw up.
"Sir, we're just cleaning up, sir!" Jared reported stoically.
Cezar gave a small nod in acknowledgment, then shifted his gaze to Etienne. "You both have five minutes to wrap up and meet me in my office. If you're late, there will be punishment."
Jared held his salute even after Cezar left the bathroom, his posture unwavering.
They hurriedly finished getting dressed, the ticking clock reminding them that Cezar had given them just five minutes to get to his office. It would take all of that to get to the 15th floor underground, where his office was located.
As they made their way to the elevator, the familiar buzz of the cafeteria's warmth and the scent of food lingered in Jared's mind. His eyes naturally flicked toward the open door, and there, standing amidst the bustle of serving customers, was the boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. His smile was like a beacon, radiating across the room and making Jared's attention distracted.
For a split second, Jared entertained the thought of stepping into the cafeteria just to say hello, but before he could take a step, he realized Etienne had not waited for him. He kept running toward the elevator. Now, Jared was stuck in front of the cafeteria. Should he enter to say hello to Charles, risking getting punished by Cezar, or catch up with Etienne? He doesn't mind getting punished just because he approaching someone he like.
However....
There was a weight in his chest, an unexplainable emptiness that had settled when he saw Etienne running ahead, leaving him behind. It wasn't just about the elevator. Jared realized that he couldn't stand being where Etienne wasn't. Even if it was just a matter of a few steps, he didn't want to be anywhere other than by his side.
Jared made up his mind and ran to catch up with Etienne.
They made it to the elevator, and now all they could do was wait for it to reach them from level 13.
Etienne seemed surprised to see Jared catching up with him and teased, "Oh, I thought you got stuck at the cafeteria."
"Dinner can wait," Jared smiled, the words feeling lighter than usual as he looked at Etienne, his gaze softening.
And for just a very brief moment, Jared noticed Etienne's green eyes soften, pure happiness in his eyes as he look into Jared's eyes. At that moment, Jared realized something—Is this really Charles? He looked... softer than the Charles I knew...but damn I swear to God, he is so beautiful. Do I really deserve such beauty to smile at me like this?
But Jared have no extra time to examine further because the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival, and the doors slid open. After a few people exited, Etienne and Jared stepped inside. Etienne immediately pressed the button for level 15, but his worry was clear as he glanced at his watch, noticing it was already past the five-minute mark. His shoulders slumped, and a sulking expression spread across his face.
The elevator ride felt like it dragged on forever. Etienne leaned his head against the wall, groaning in frustration. "Ugh... I want to throw up..." he moans, thinking about the punishment he will received. The sense of impending punishment was inevitable, gnawing at him. He hated being in this place, trapped by its hypocritical leader, and all he wanted was to escape.
Noticing his best friend's frustration, Jared nudged Etienne's side with his arm. "Hey, don't worry. It's just a little punishment. Whatever he tries to make you do, I'll get myself involved."
Etienne's eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh, what if he made you kneel to give... tickling happy feels on his groin area, would you do it?"
Jared paused, his laughter cutting off abruptly as he realized Etienne wasn't just messing around. "What?"
"Would you?" Etienne pressed, his face looked serious.
When Jared stopped laughing, his tone became serious, "If he made you do it, I'll do it for you."
Etienne giggled, shaking his head in disbelief. "No, you won't."
Jared raised an eyebrow, adamant. "I mean it. I'm here now, you don't have to do it alone"
"But you surely prefers to spend some time in the cafeteria with your crush," Etienne teased, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
"He got the whole world to entertain, and without me, no one will hold him back," Jared paused, his voice softening. "But you're my ride or die."
Etienne's eyes widened, the weight of Jared's words settling in. He opened his mouth to push the conversation further, but before he could, the elevator dinged, and more people entered, ending their discussion abruptly.
In the cramped space, however, Etienne felt a slight brush against his hand, and before he could fully process it, Jared's hand had reached out to hold his, fingers curling around his own. Etienne's smile bloomed, and he couldn't help but rub his thumb over the back of Jared's hand, feeling the warmth of his touch.
But in the silence of the moment, a thought nagged at the back of Etienne's mind. But you still call me by his name, instead of mine... how do I know if you're intend to hold my hand, not his?