Page 90 of Syncopation
“Oh, he would, justto spite me.” Ray rolled his head and met Zavier’s gaze. “He’s put up with my antics for years, but we’re not like this.” He gestured between the two of them. “He’s not touchy-feely. You like touching me.”
“Like I said, not entirely altruistic on my part.”
Ray laughed. “But it’s not always sexual.”
That was true, too. He pulled Ray’s head down into his lap. “This okay, or do you reallywant to kneel on the floor with your forehead on my shoes?”
“Wanna do both. But this is fine.” Ray’s words were soft, and his body relaxed.
Zavier stroked his hair. “Tell me what you see.”
“I’m calling it ‘Dare to Be.’” Then Ray whispered words and colors. Shapes. Sometimes he spoke so low, Zavier couldn’t hear. He also tapped out a beat on Zavier’s thigh, one Zavier echoed and improvisedwith on his back, until Ray was humming and singing and then slipping into sleep. A continuation of the song Ray’d been working on before. And now Zavier had the name—one even Mish and Dom didn’t know. He held on to that like a talisman.
How many years had it been since he’d had a friend like Ray? One he could sit and be with? He couldn’t remember. Once sex came into the picture, everyonehad always expectedmorefrom him. Some great romantic connection. Dinners and presents and declarations. But Ray didn’t seem to need that and it was a fucking miracle.
He fell asleep at some point, too, and woke when Mish pulled back the privacy curtain. She smiled at them and pointed to the bathroom.
Zavier waved his hand. He could stay like his forever, but Ray would probably be morecomfortable in his bunk. He stroked his fingers through Ray’s hair. “Hey...”
Ray stirred. “Fuck—uh. What time is it?”
“No idea. Mish needed the bathroom and that woke me up.”
Ray gripped Zavier’s knee. “Guess we should sleep in real beds, huh?”
“That’s not until Utah. But you’re gonna get a huge knot in your neck if you sleep on me all night.”
Ray moaned and sat up. “Yeah.Probably.”
When Mish cleared the bathroom, they all headed up and crawled into their respective berths.
“Zav?” Ray’s voice filtered down from above.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for listening.”
Yeah, there was that warm content feeling again. Like sitting in the sun or lying on a beach. A perfect moment. “Always.”
Nothing more, just the rumble of the bus and the soft sounds of hisbandmates falling asleep.
