Chapter Twenty-three

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     "We will stop at your place first," Leroy said, closing the door to the passenger seat before walking to the other end of the car

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     "We will stop at your place first," Leroy said, closing the door to the passenger seat before walking to the other end of the car. He climbed in, starting the engine before adjusting the mirror right above.

     Zachary just stared at the younger man, smiling a bit—mostly to himself. He thought Leroy looked weirdly cute in his fitted black jeans, a green turtleneck, and a brown jacket. The younger man's hair was full and twisted in the cutest waves and curls at the nape of his neck and hairline as always. Even now, Zach's fingers itched just a little bit to reach out and touch them. His eyes drifted to Zach's brows, cute nose, and then mouth—and suddenly Zach's face warmed up as memories from last night made him feel not so innocent anymore. He looked away, staring out of the window as the car was pulled out of the driveway and into the main road.

     "Wait, tell me you can eat movie popcorn, please?" Leroy asked, and Zach turned to look at him.

     The older man furrowed his brows, thinking for a bit. "I can eat plain popcorn..."

     Leroy sighed, resting his back on the driver's seat as his grip on the steering wheel. "So no to excessively buttered cinema popcorn? Got it. I guess we can find a combo with a wrap or hotdog or something."

     "I mean. I could have some popcorn."

     Leroy shook his head. "It's okay, I'm not mad or anything, and besides, I don't think you want to experience an allergic reaction or diarrhea in a public restroom, trust me."

     Zach raised a brow. "Is it that bad?"

     Leroy's eyes went wide as if he was recounting something. "You have no fucking idea!" he groaned, making Zachary chuckle, and soon the younger man was telling him quite the peculiar tale of taking a shit mid-road trip pit stop at a gas station.

     Though it was funny—and horrifying, a part of Zachary couldn't help thinking of it wistfully. He personally had very little experience to talk about, and the small mundane things Leroy had been through fascinated him. For heaven's sake, he was going to watch a movie on the big screen for the first time, and he couldn't help hoping that just like with this experience, he'd share many more firsts with Leroy. He couldn't imagine sharing them with anyone else.

     The discussion died down just before Leroy stopped the car in front of Zachary's place, he reached out his hand in front of Zach, asking for the key. "If you give me your key, I can go find your chair, so you don't have to come out," he said, and the older man nodded, fishing for it on the backpack he'd put but his feet before handing it over to Leroy. He watched the brown-eyed man leave the car and walk up to the bungalow, smiling a bit when the younger man paused at the stairs to pet the cat hiding under it.

     He watched as Leroy disappeared into the house, and a few minutes later the man was carrying a folded wheelchair with him out the door. When Leroy loaded the chair in the trunk of the car, he climbed back into the driver's seat before starting the car.

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