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"...well, I actually want that one back." He grinned at Zac and went for the buck, snatching it out of his hands. Instead, he'd go rooting for one of the others in trade: bare male chest on the cover, font positively dripping. It would be impossible for Zac to hide this one. Maybe that was the point. Ever curled the young man's hands around it as he stepped back in.

"But when I'm done, maybe." Laughing, he smoothed hair back out of Zac's face. "You think about these things too much. It was funny. You know it."

Ever blinked at that, the smile slipping in favor of something honestly considering, his head tipped to the side. Trying to imagine what an after gym shower might be, perhaps, or what would be romantic about that.

"Um. They're not actually terribly romantic. And don't get your hopes up, because they're not terribly realistic, either." The fact that Ever could say that -- he must have at least read some of them. "I think they're written for women. By women. Definitely not written by anyone with real experience."

There was a moment's hesitation, his fingers lingering against Zac's bangs, smoothing just a little against the hinge of his jaw. The grin was still gone, the joke sliding out of this, into something that was almost nervous. Zac really was very young. It was unfamiliar, a bit, for Ever. Somewhat strange. Not his usual...

"Do you want me to be serious, here, Zac?" He was very careful about how he asked it; no teasing, no prodding. Just a little fidget. He wasn't good at serious. "I mean, you seriously want to talk about this?"

"So chill. Read the book." He grinned again, because Zac was going to wriggle and blush while reading it -- but Ever thought he'd do it. He could never turn down a real research opportunity, nor could he refuse a challenge. This was a little bit of both. And it was fun on top of that.

A careful little shift served as a warning before he stole a kiss. Not a lie that he really liked getting Zac all riled up, blushing and shouting and finger shaking. It didn't make him balk the way it should have. Instead it encouraged him.

He lifted his head and he was fighting against laughter again. "I can get you more if you want them, too."

The blow to the ribs got a grunt, a shift -- still tired from the teleport, he wobbled before he caught himself, and then tumbled onto Zac's bed in a dramatic fashion.

There he froze, expression slack.

The notebook.

He had completely, a hundred percent forgotten. The promotion had come, and there had been other things on his mind: dealing with Sabine, some wandering and exploration, corrupt senshi and Negaverse training, increased quotas and playing with his new weapon. It had fallen to the back of his mind, less important than all the new duties. Or less urgent at least.

"Uh." He didn't even know what to say. His turn for a mocking.

It was Ever's turn to flush. Physical contact he could deal with; the sex talk was hardly an issue. He didn't mind making an a** of himself. But this had been truly stupid, and he well knew it.

He struggled with embarrassment, reaching out to catch Zac and hide his face in his shoulder, fighting away the burning of his cheeks. It mostly succeeded. Except his ears had gone red, too, and for a panicked moment he couldn't remember where he'd left it. He relaxed a touch when it clicked: in the bottom of his bag, right on the other side of the room, under the thick black book with gilted edges...

He drew in a careful breath, and flicked a sideways look up at Zac, digging for a teasing tone. "Well, you do make it hard for me to think, Zac."

He was aware of the cheesiness, at least. He fluttered pale lashes. "And frustration is now a constant companion."

It made him smile -- gentler, this time, more relaxed, a hand smoothing up Zac's arm and one leg dangling crookedly off the bed. He was still a little flushed. He wouldn't forget the damned book again; he'd hide in the stacks at work and sort through the pages, looking for something that would give him the key to decoding Zac's careful shorthand...

With a rumble, he raised his eyebrows, blinking up at Zac. "You're really bad at punishing me for being a pain in the a**."