Zas fidgeted nervously on the couch.  He wasn’t sure what do now that his proposal was out in the open. He looked to the seat beside him and opened and closed his mouth a few times in a futile effort to get words out. Finally he just shut it and stared pleadingly for an answer.

“Yes! I’d love to! Oh Muffin you’ve made the happiest person ever!” Cameron squealed as he threw his arms around Zas. Zas let out the breath he’d been holding all this time. Finally something was going right. 

“Well, you don’t see this too often,’ Ezza said snapping a pic on her phone. Zas jerked back, dropping Cameron face first into his lap. Ezza hadn’t been there a minute ago, how much had she heard?

“Well I appreciate the sentiment Muffin. You have to ask first. I’m not a machine or a toy, I need to be wined and dined.” Cameron said lifting himself up. Zas’s face went bright red. Ezza giggled and then gave Cameron a hello kiss on his cheek.

“So, what were we talking about?” She asked as she made her way to the bedroom to change. Cameron had been sneaking over everyday he had off and Akira had to work. Akira had left for a weekend conference for work, so Cameron was practically living with them at the moment. It wasn’t right, but Cameron seemed so miserable when they saw him in the Square. They knew he saw them, but he had avoided them and clung to Akira. Finally Ezza had approached him when Akira hadn’t been around, and made this arrangement with him. It seemed to be working brilliantly for the moment.

“Nothing much,” Zas said smoothly. “I just thought we’d invite Cameron to the park with us today. You said you wanted to go again right?” 

Ezza’s face clouded over for a second, but then she smiled and nodded. Coming out of the bedroom she took Cameron’s hands in hers and smiled.

“Can’t wait.” She said.

************

They could hear the cursing of the grill from where they stood. Ezza sighed and shook her head at Zas’s antics outside. Cameron watched her reacting to Zas’s every little movement.

“What’s wrong Pretty Baby? You haven’t been yourself, and it’s easy to see you’re avoiding my Muffin. What’s he done now?” Cameron asked turning to face her. 

Ezza leaned back and made sure Zas was still at the grill, then she turned back and unleashed everything on Cameron. Her fears that they were growing apart, how Zas didn’t seem to want her now that she was a woman, and all she had seen with Penny.

“Ah, I was wondering when he’d screw that up and flaunt it in front of you.” Cameron said looking down. When he looked up, he saw the betrayed, angry look on her face and hurried to explain.

“You two need to communicate more. You are Pairs right?” Cameron muttered.

“A Pairing.” Ezza corrected.

“Yes, yes, that. Look, I can’t tell you exactly what’s going on, because I’m not sure myself, but I know he thinks about you all the time. That every move he’s made, whether you were a man or a woman has always taken you into account. You need to trust him, you need to actually talk.” Cameron coaxed putting his hand on Ezza’s leg. 

“How though? He avoids me unless it’s about work or the weather. We sleep in separate rooms; when we do find time to be together, he occupies himself with other things or other people.” Ezza let the depressed tone in her voice come out.

“Well then, find a way to interact with him, and then commandeer the conversation to something more private.” Cameron said. He would have gone on, but Zas came over, a look of triumph on his face, and a plate of steaks in his hands.

“Lets dig in!” He shouted.

************

Ezza stared over the menu at Zas.

They had come to Chez Llama for dinner to celebrate. Ezza had found taking Cameron’s advice more difficult than she had thought. At the end of the week, both she and Zas had been promoted. She was now a Community Manager, and Zas was a Food Stall Frequenter. They had gone to the local city park, and Ezza had planed on talking to Zas then, but had been distracted by finding all the “Secret” plaques.

Getting hungry they had come to the restaurant for dinner.

They had ordered and were waiting for their meal.

“So…” Ezza began and trailed off. Zas smiled and chuckled a bit.

“What’re you so nervous for? It’s not like it’s a date. We’re just two friends having dinner to celebrate promotions together silly.” Zas smiled at her. Feeling a little disappointed Ezza let a small chuckle to hide her feelings and tried to think of way to start the conversation. Why was it so hard to start? The waitress arrived with their food.

Over dinner Zas complained about things happening at work, and reminisced about his Chefs work at Make-A-Dish.

Ezza tried to steer the conversation towards more personal things, but Zas kept bring them back to platonic. When someone Zas knew showed up, Ezza excused herself for a few moments to head to the bar. 

************

“No, you’re other foot. Woman! You’re going to hurt us both doing that.” Zas was trying to get Ezza to walk straight. She had gotten pretty juiced at the restaurant and had started singing.

Entertaining as that was, Zas couldn’t stand by and watch as a gentleman, and it was Ezza they were talking about, so it was painful. Moving at the pace of a snail having seizures, he sighed. Finally, he picked her up and carried into the bedroom. He dropped her onto the bed.

“You’ve gained weight. You went from a sack of potatoes to a sack of rocks.” Zas complained loudly.  Ezza was sprawled on the bed her dress around her thighs. Zas blinked and looked away. He was trying to avoid temptation.

“It’s ‘cuz of these!” Ezza said cupping her chest. Zas tried not to look but lost the internal battle.

“Well, I should go.” He said rubbing the back of his head. He started backing towards the door.

“Don’t go. Please. You always leave me. Stay just this once.” Ezza pleaded.

Zas looked back at her. She was sitting up and staring at him with a sad look on her face. 

“Look Ezza, I-” Zas started.

“I’m not good enough?” Ezza asked. “Is that you have a taste of human woman now? What’s wrong with me?” 

Zas stared at her. He was at a loss for words. He hadn’t seen this coming. It wasn’t that he wasn’t attracted, it’s just there was so much to lose. As he debated on what to say to her, she stood up, and slipped the top of her dress off. Zas momentarily lost the ability to speak, he just stared as she finished slipping the dress off and stepped out of it.

“What’s wrong with me? We’ve known each other forever, we know everything about each other. I’m not going to run Zas, no matter what happens.” She said as walked up to him and placed her hand on his chest. Zas swallowed. This can’t happen, he thought.

Slowly, almost painfully as if he were touching something delicate and breakable, he reached down against his will and cupped Ezza’s face as he drowned in her eyes. He brought his face a hairbreadth from hers. He waited, waited for her to back away, to shove him and call him the monster she’d always known him to be when it came to women. Instead she closed the distance and kissed him. 

A small moan escaped her lips and the last remaining wall Zas held in place crumpled. He picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Tossing her down, he crawled on top of her, kissing her the entire time. He only stopped once long enough to whisper in her ear.

“I’ll try.”