As I wrapped the last plate in tissue paper, I placed in delicately a box. "All the dishes are done!" I called, closing the box and taping it shut.

"We're almost done with the clothes too!" Zane called back from somewhere else in the apartment.

I picked up the heavy box of dishes carefully and headed for the door. Aaron leaned over from his packing to pull it open for me as I stepped out. I thanked him and made my way to the bottom of the stairs and out of the apartment.

I looked over the top of the box to see where the car was before stumbling over to place the box into the back of the truck Cliff had rented for the move. I had said upon first glance that the truck wouldn't be big enough for everything, but Cliff was convinced, so I wasn't going to argue with him.

Dusting off my hands, I was turning around to go to see what else I could help with when Zane came hurrying towards me with a bag of bedroom things in his arms. He looked highly annoyed by something as he dropped the bag into the bed of the truck and scowled.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Cliff acts like I'm such a kid..." he grumbled. "He's barely letting me do anything."

"Don't feel too bad," I said, patting his back. "Be grateful. At least he'll do all the heavy lifting for you when the two of you get old and wrinkly."

That finally made him laugh. "I guess I am being a little picky." He glanced at Cliff who was walking up with a bunch of boxes, looking inquisitively behind us for the bag Zane had been carrying. Zane crossed his arms. "It would be a whole lot easier if he wasn't so annoying," he said, more directed at Cliff than me.

The larger man just pecked Zane on the cheek and carried on his way.

"So, when are you totally moving into your new house?" I asked, not for the first time that day; I had a habit of not listening to things I didn't actually want to know.

"A couple weeks or so," Zane said. "I'm hoping to get the beds over on Tuesday so we can start living there, but it all depends on if we can rent a van in time. They're expensive."

I nodded. "Sounds cool," I said. I shouted at Cliff from across the lawn. "How often at you going to let me see my best friend?"

He shrugged. "Depends on when he can walk or not."

Zane turned bright red as the two of us began laughing so loudly we were probably disturbing the neighbors. My friend marched right up to Cliff and slapped his arm. "Don't you have anything better to do than make gross jokes about our sex life?" he hissed.

"It's just a joke," I said from behind my hand. 

Zane whirled on me and I tried to pretend I wasn't still laughing. "And you! How dare you humor him!" he scolded sharply. "His horrible humor is bad enough when it's just the two of us. The more you laugh the more he thinks it's okay."

I waved my hands in defense. "Sorry, sorry. It won't happen again," I promised.

He rolled his eyes, knowing full well that my promise was bullshit and I would definitely laugh just as much, if not more, at the next sex joke Cliff made. 

Zane pointed to the front seat of the truck. "Cliff, start driving. We have to be at Rowen's by 3:00pm, and I don't want to be late or we'll never hear the end of it."

"Can I catch a ride with you?" I asked. "I told Rowen I'd help with furniture too."

"Sure," Zane said. "I am surprised you agreed, though. Doesn't he usually get on your nerves?"

After loading my bike into the back, I hopped in the truck next to Zane and closed the car door. "He does," I said. "But I figured the faster the moving went, the faster I'd have him out of my hair for a few months."

Cliff snickered from the front seat. "Don't you mean out of your pants?"

I glared at him. "That's not funny," I said, now equally as annoyed as Zane had been. Maybe Cliff's joke weren't as funny as I thought.

Zane, however, was in agreement with his boyfriend. He threw an arm over my shoulders. "Of course it's not funny. You're totally straight, and you definitely don't like Rowen at all. It's not like you blush when he's around, or get flustered when he talks to you, or-"

"I don't!" I snapped.

Cliff glanced at me through the review mirror. "Not to add fire to the flame, but it's pretty obvious who you like."

I had heard just about all I was willing to listen to about Rowen, and turned away with a grumbling scowl. Zane sighed in mock content. "The beginnings of love: denying the fact that it's even there."

He patted my back as I gritted my teeth. "Whatever."

The rest of the trip to Rowen's, I listened to Cliff and Zane's conversations. They had everything for their move planned out to the second, listing in detail where everything would go, what color the they were going to paint the walls, and even where they intended to keep their Christmas decorations when they eventually got some. Their excitement was contagious, and I felt happy for them. I hoped that after all of this, Zane would be able to take a break.

After we rescued Cliff, everything had gone to shit. Zane and Cliff had moved from apartment to apartment for a couple months to avoid staying in one place for too long. It had been really hard on Zane. He always seemed on edge or to be looking over his shoulder, and he couldn't keep going like that for much longer. I knew he was exhausted. Now that they were going to live in a real house again, it would definitely take a lot of stress off both of their shoulders.

We pulled into Rowen's driveway and got out of the truck. Rowen was just stepping out if his house with a floor lamp over one shoulder and a small table over the other. He was wearing a white tank top that showed off his slender, muscular figure rippling with a strength only his victims could attest to. I remember thinking how unsettling that visual was and quickly pushed it away.

"Nice view?" Zane asked next to me, nudging my arm with his elbow.

I stared at Rowen for a second longer before I rolled my eyes. "Not at all," I muttered.

My friend chuckled. "You're such a liar. Just admit it already," he prompted. "Even I think it looks good."

I pulled my jacket off and tied it around my waist. "Then you take him home. Maybe then he'll leave me alone," I said.

"Sorry," Zane said, glancing suggestively at Cliff. "I already have all the man meat I need in my life."

Rowen approached us and smiled when he saw me. "Hey, cutie," he said.

Zane snickered and I would've punched him, but Cliff walked up just then and I really didn't want to get on his bad side. 

Cliff started talking to Rowen, effectively preventing the man from striking up a conversation with me, so I walked into the house to look around. I noticed sticky notes on different objects around the house and figured out that the ones with a check mark meant he was taking them and the ones with an X meant he wasn't. Easy enough, I decided, and began selecting boxes light enough to carry more than one at a time.

I picked up a box of sheets and a box of clothes, and headed for the door. I carried the boxes to Rowen's rented moving van and set them inside. Dusting off my hands, I turned around only to jump ten years closer to my death at the sight of Rowen leering close. "Jeez," I muttered, trying to hide how startled I had been. I shoved Rowen out of the way. "Don't sneak up on me."

Rowen set a box in the van and followed me back towards the house. "Did I scare you?" he asked, mockingly. I ignored him. He slung a lanky arm over my shoulder. "Awe, come on. I was only playing. I can't help it if you're easy to tease."

His taunt itched at my skin and I scowled at him as we walked. "Bug off," I said coldly, pushing his arm away.

My tone must have hampered his mood because he frowned at me and stopped walking. "It was just a joke. What's up with you? You're being less tolerant than usual."

I refused to answer him and disappeared inside the house. I had "tolerated" his unwanted advances for long enough. Besides, he was going away, so I hardly felt the need to begin being polite now of all times. If he didn't like my attitude, he shouldn't have invited me over.

*******

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